That’s why the Holafly research team analyzed 200 cities worldwide—combining the 100 most-visited destinations globally with the 100 most-populous urban areas—based on their English proficiency, safety, visa openness, tourism and information services, and other major factors to crown the most welcoming cities in the world.

The Most Welcoming Cities in the U.S.

1. Boston, Massachusetts

With a safety score of 60.3, Boston, Massachusetts, is the most welcoming city in the U.S. The city’s safety score surpasses the average mark, which is a great sign for visitors to know that they’ll be surrounding themselves within a relatively safe environment. For those looking to learn more about Boston, it has 27 different info and tourism assistance services, so new visitors can ask questions, learn about Boston’s history, and explore the great things to do in the area. The city also has a reputation for being very accepting, as search volumes for the terms “friendly” and “welcoming” have surpassed 52,000 searches on average.

2. New York, New York

As one of the most diverse and inclusive cities around the U.S. and the world, New York City is the second most welcoming U.S. city. New York has 26 different tourism assistance and information services for visitors to choose from, which is important for people traveling to NYC for the first time to know a little bit about the city and the best things to do within it. Many people may have a certain perception of New Yorkers when it comes to their hospitality and how nice and inclusive they are, but New York also has a solid social support score of 1.39, which is reassuring enough for domestic and international travelers to know that they will be well-received and welcomed during their visit.

3. San Diego, California

Located on the coast of Southern California, San Diego is the third most welcoming city in the United States. Out of all the U.S. cities listed, San Diego has the highest safety score at 60.4. For those looking to hit the waves, visit the San Diego Zoo, or just simply venture around the city, worrying about your safety won’t have to be as much of a concern compared to other cities. Similar to Boston, San Diego also has a reputation of being very accepting, with search volumes for the terms “friendly” and “welcoming” reaching nearly 30,000 searches on average.

The Most Welcoming Cities Worldwide

1. Singapore, Singapore

Listed as the most welcoming city worldwide is Singapore, where, across the board, most of what the city offers is very friendly and welcoming. Singapore has a very high safety score at 77.7, which is very reassuring for new visitors and travelers who want to feel safe during their journey. It also has a very high visa openness score of 164, which showcases once again how welcoming the city is to foreign nationals. For those who need help navigating the city, Singapore also has a solid number of tourism and info assistance services at 41, a solid number of services to inform, appease, and ease many new people traveling to the city-state for the first time.

2. London, England

Coming in as the second most welcoming city worldwide is London, England. As the capital of the United Kingdom, the city has a very familiar feel of diversity that many other big metropolitan areas have. The city also has a great number of tourism and info assistance services at 54—great for those looking to venture and learn about the best parts of London, whether it’s visiting Westminster Abbey, taking a bus tour around Central London, or something much more.

3. Sydney, Australia

From the land down under, Sydney, Australia, comes in as the third most welcoming city worldwide. As an English-speaking country, the city has the highest English proficiency score of 700. So, barring accent differences, visiting Sydney will be very easy for first-time visitors to navigate conversations who have a functional understanding of the language.

The Most Helpful Cities Worldwide

1. Tokyo, Japan

Navigating and getting around a new city can be hard, but in Tokyo, new travelers have an abundance of resources to help them travel and experience the city. Tokyo has the most tourism and information assistance services at 458, which you can say makes the city the most helpful out of all the cities listed. Whether it’s visiting the Shibuya Crossing, a trip to the Senso-ji Temple, or even finding the best restaurants to eat within the city, Tokyo has a service to answer many questions and concerns to keep you informed and comfortable.

2. Hamburg, Germany

Hamburg, Germany, ranks as the second-most helpful city worldwide. As the second-largest city in Germany, Hamburg has over 100 million overseas and domestic day visitors that travel through every year. With that high amount of visitors, there will always be some who need guidance on where to go, the best things to say, and even the best things to eat—and Hamburg has plenty of services that can provide them with similar tips and information, as Hamburg has 179 different tourism and info assistance services within the city.

3. Birmingham, England

Rounding out the top three most helpful cities is Birmingham, England. London is normally the city that is renowned by many, but what people don’t know is that the city of Birmingham has over 23 million visitors every year on average. With a large number of visitors like that, there will always be a need for tourism and information services, of which Birmingham has the third most, at 89 different tourism and info assistance services available.

The Safest Cities Worldwide

1. Sapporo, Japan

Safety plays a key role in how welcoming a city is to visitors and its residents, and that’s what Sapporo, Japan, provides. With a safety score of 92.86, it is easily the safest major city worldwide for travelers to roam. Sapporo is very well known for its low crime, with petty theft and pickpocketing being extremely rare. The nightlife establishments in the area have a huge emphasis on safety as the areas are policed heavily, with multiple streetlights. Public transit systems in the area are also known to be highly reliable, clean, and secure—so visitors won’t have to worry about their safety and security while riding the subways.

2. Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi places as the second safest city worldwide with a safety score of 88.9. Abu Dhabi’s safety score is reflected in how heavily policed the city is. Petty crimes are extremely rare within the area, as police surveillance is pretty much all around the city. The safety score is also reflected by how extremely strict the laws and regulations are in Abu Dhabi. In the city, things like public displays of affection, cursing, rude gestures, or even taking pictures and videos of people in public without permission are extremely illegal.

3. Yokohama, Japan

As another major Japanese city, Yokohama is recognized as the third-safest city worldwide. Yokohama has a safety score of 86.13, with the city prioritizing low violent crime to make its citizens feel secure. Similar to Sapporo, Yokohama has extremely low crime rates. The city has strict local regulations, which include zero-tolerance drug laws, stringent traffic rules for bikes, and extensive emergency protocols in case of a natural disaster—protocols that would make many visitors feel at ease when traveling through a new city.

The Most Visa-Friendly Cities Worldwide

1. Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi ranks as the most visa-friendly city worldwide, with a perfect visa openness score of 198. The city allows anyone from any country to enter with almost full unrestricted access. All travelers have to do is submit and obtain an approved e-visa only three days prior to visiting, at an affordable price of $32.50. So, for those looking to traverse around the African continent and embody the culture, Nairobi, Kenya, might just be the best first option.

2. Colombo, Sri Lanka

Colombo earns its spot as the second most visa-friendly city thanks to its open e-visa system. With a near-perfect visa openness score of 192, visitors from over 100 countries can easily qualify for a visa to enter, and the cost is relatively affordable at only $50 USD. With Colombo increasing in popularity regarding entertainment, nightlife, and dining, the city is a very appealing last-minute travel destination, as travelers can obtain a visa right on site without having to fill out any prior paperwork.

3. Tehran, Iran

Tehran rounds out the top three most visa-friendly countries worldwide with an openness score of 183. The country has a visa-on-arrival program available to citizens of more than 60 countries at the Imam Khomeini International Airport. Tehran does have a few restrictions for individuals from certain countries, as US, UK, and Canadian citizens must be accompanied by an authorized guide or be part of a pre-arranged tour group and cannot travel to Iran individually. While visa costs vary by nationality, many travelers pay less than $75 for entry.

How Welcoming is Your City? Check Out the Table Below

First impressions are what really make or break memorable trips. What separates the most welcoming cities from others usually comes down to the basics, like feeling safe, looked after, and accepted. The cities that get this right don’t just earn good reviews—they get multiple return visits. The ones that don’t usually leave an impression even amongst well-traveled visitors that they’re not wanted as much.

Traveling to a new city, however, does take a little preparation, which can go a long way. Learning a few local phrases, even in English-speaking destinations, or spending ten minutes researching neighborhood customs and traditions before you go can make a new city feel familiar faster. Staying connected matters just as much—with your Travel eSIM active from the moment you land, you’ll have what you need to navigate, translate, and find your place without missing a beat.

Methodology

To identify the world’s most welcoming cities, we gathered a list of 200 global cities combining the 100 most-visited cities globally (by international visitors, per Euromonitor) and the 100 most-populous urban areas (UN World Urbanization Prospects). Each city was scored on six signals of how welcoming it is to travelers: its English proficiency score (EF EPI), social support score (World Happiness Report, “Explained by: Social support”); the number of tourism and information services (OpenStreetMap), safety scores (Numbeo), visa and entry openness scores (Henley Openness Index), combined search interest for terms like “friendly [city]” and “welcoming [city]” (KeywordTool). Each metric was normalized to a 0–100 scale and combined into a weighted ranking to help determine the city that is the most welcoming to travelers around the world. Data is accurate as of June 15, 2026

*Cities lacking reliable data were replaced with comparable data-available cities, so the final set (78 most-visited, 38 most-populous, 84 replacements) skews toward well-covered cities.