Devon is home to second most welcoming city in UK'

Exeter is the second most welcoming city in the UK, according to new research. A reported 4.57% of reviews posted online say that visitors were made to feel welcome by friendly locals.

Carlisle is the most welcoming city for tourists in the UK. A 2024 study commissioned by a gambling website found that the northern English city has 6.3% of all reviews on the top pages of Tripadvisor mentioning that they were made to feel welcome.

When breaking down the data, the team discovered that Plymouth restaurants had made visitors feel the most welcome, with 6.9% of reviews mentioning they were made to feel welcome.

The study found the following cities make up the top 10 most welcoming cities in the UK:

1. Carlisle - 6.3%
2. Exeter - 4.97%
3. Plymouth - 4.75%
4. Norwich - 4.57%
5. Aberdeen - 4.38%
6. Newcastle - 4.31%
7. Southampton - 4.26%
8. Coventry - 4.24%
9. Sheffield - 4.22%
10. Leicester - 4.18%

When breaking down the data, the team discovered that Plymouth restaurants had made visitors feel the most welcome, with 6.9% of reviews mentioning they were made to feel welcome:

1. Plymouth - 6.9%
2. Carlisle - 6.4%
3. Exeter - 5.85%
4. Norwich - 6.3%
5. Southampton - 5.29%

A team of researchers examined over 2.3 million reviews on Tripadvisor from 30 of the UK's most popular cities for tourists. The analysis focused on identifying each city’s top hotels, attractions, and restaurants, specifically finding reviews in which visitors mentioned feeling welcomed.

Any of the top-rated places on Tripadvisor with fewer than 100 reviews were excluded, and the next highest-rated option was considered instead. Data collection took place in November 2024.