Chester voted most welcoming place in the UK

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Chester voted most welcoming place in the UK

Chester has been voted the most welcoming place in the UK in a recent survey based on traveller reviews.

The rankings were drawn up by travel website, Booking.com, with entries identified based on the number of Traveller Review Awards each has.

The most welcoming place on Earth for 2025 was Sigiriya in Sri Lanka, with Chester topping the ranking for the UK and coming tenth globally.

Sigiriya is a 180m (590ft) high ancient rock fortress in Sri Lanka’s Matale District.

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Leader, Councillor Louise Gittins said: “I’m thrilled that our beautiful, historic city has now also been recognised for its warm welcome to visitors. 

“In the survey Chester is described as a ‘historic gem offering a captivating blend of Roman, medieval, and Tudor architecture, all nestled within well-preserved City Walls.’

“The survey also states that the City is known for its ‘friendly locals and vibrant community spirit’, and that Chester ‘exudes a warm, inviting charm that leaves visitors feeling truly at home’.”

Completing the rest of the eight-strong UK ranking are Newry, County Down (second); Enniskillen, County Fermanagh (third); Portstewart, County Londonderry (fourth); Woolacombe, Devon (fifth); Haworth, West Yorkshire (sixth); Newcastle, County Down (seventh); and Cheddar, Somerset (eighth).

Colin Potts,Programme Leader for International Tourism Management at the University and Chair of the city tourism body, Destination Chester, shared more on why the city has earned the titles.

He said: “It is great for Chester to receive such wonderful accolades but also no surprise. Chester has been making visitors happy for centuries and its lovely cobbled main streets are full of independent hotels, shops and restaurants where a warm welcome is guaranteed. Many visitors even receive a personal welcome from our Town Crier or a Roman soldier.

“At the city’s arts centre and library, Storyhouse, you can have glass of wine while browsing the books – what could be more welcoming than that? Chester is also a very safe city – and safety and welcome go hand-in-hand.”

Luisa Ellis, International Tourism Management student at the University’s Business School, added: “Chester is a charming and vibrant place to live and study. For a small city, it has amazing bars, eateries and shops. I particularly like the quirky and cute cafés that are here – I even set up a café hopping society at the University to enjoy and study in the cafés with other students.

“Chester is a blend of feeling like home yet feeling exciting and different at the same time. Whilst Chester has so much within its city walls, if you ever need a change of scenery it is a very well connected city – with great transport links to Liverpool, Manchester and North Wales.”