Aussie city named ‘world’s friendliest’ in acclaimed survey
Updated . First published at
In yet another snub for Sydney, Melbourne has taken out a top travel crown.
The trendy Victorian capital has been named the world’s friendliest city in Conde Nast Traveller’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Melbourne has been named the world’s friendliest city. Visit Victoria
Despite its famous harbour and beaches the NSW capital was nowhere to be seen,
Tourism bosses say while famous for events like the Australian Open Grand Slam and Formula One Grand Prix, the award shows Melbourne has another side with its friendly people.
“The accolade as the world’s friendliest city is a testament to the wonderful people and tourism operators that proudly welcome visitors to Melbourne,” Brendan McClements, CEO at Visit Victoria, said.
"The recognition gives people another reason to visit Melbourne alongside global sporting events, world-class dining and our thriving culture scene."
Degraves Street in Melbourne is one of the city’s trendy laneways. Visit Victoria
Only one other Aussie city made the cut on the list, which was created after almost 800,000 votes by travellers from around the world.
Perth in Western Australia landed at number six.
Perhaps its status as one of the world’s most isolated cities means locals are keen to strike up a conversation with visitors.
Melbourne featured in the top 10 in this category at last year’s awards, but rose to number one this year.
The city’s trophy cabinet must be groaning, as earlier this year it was also named the ‘world’s best’, by Time Out.
Perth was the only other city to feature in the list. Getty
Hot on Melbourne’s heels for friendliness was Oporto in Portgual, which is also known as Porto.
It’s most famed for its medieval streets and Port wine.
Tourism hotspot Seoul in South Korea came next. It’s a place Aussies are flocking to, wanting to experience the blend of pop culture and ancient sites.
Porto in Portugal came second on the friendly list. iStock
Another Portuguese city, Lisbon, the nation’s capital, was fourth. Ever-trendy canal city Amsterdam in the Netherlands rounded off the top five.
A few weeks ago Melbourne, Brisbane, and even Hobart were named as cities with some of the ‘coolest’ suburbs in the world.
They were ranked among some of the world’s trendiest cities, including Seoul and Los Angeles.
Again, Sydney was notably absent.
The Condé Nast Traveller recognition is just the latest accolade for Aussie tourism.
A holiday region of New South Wales made it onto another acclaimed list of the best spots to go in the world in 2027.
Sydney was snubbed on the friendly list. iStock
The Tweed, a picturesque region north of Byron Bay, was named as one of the Top 25 Best Destinations to visit in the world in 2027 by Lonely Planet. It was the only place in Australia to make the list.
Another part of Australia ranked in the company’s prestigious 2027 Top Experiences Hot list – the Northern Territory’s Red Centre arts scene.
Condé Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice World’s Friendliest Cities:
- Melbourne, Australia
- Oporto, Portugal
- Seoul, South Korea
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Perth, Australia
- Jaipur, India
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Cape Town, South Africa
