A first-timer has topped Condé Nast Traveller's Readers' Choice Awards for friendliest country in the world: Costa Rica, scoring 98.67, nudged New Zealand (98.46) and Ireland (98.39) into second and third place. The annual ranking, built from thousands of reader votes, also welcomed new entries this year from Greece, Italy and India.
Costa Rica's win comes as little surprise to anyone who has spent time there. The country's national philosophy, pura vida — roughly, let go of stress and prioritise people over possessions — shapes everyday interactions from beach towns to jungle villages. It also happens to be one of Latin America's most effortless destinations: no wars, stable democracy, and an ecotourism setup that's been refined over decades.
The rest of the top ten is a friendly mix of old and new. Indonesia (97.50) ranked fourth, with readers praising the warmth found in family-run warungs and the spirit of gotong royong, the tradition of working towards the common good. Bhutan took fifth (97.23), helped by its Gross National Happiness Index and its status as the world's only carbon-negative country — though travellers should budget for its tourist tax, which funds sustainable development.
Portugal (96.67), Italy (96.54) and Greece (96.31) filled sixth through eighth. Greece's entry is notable given how often its hospitality is taken for granted; the concept of philoxenia — being a friend to strangers — still translates into long lunches and refilled glasses across the islands and mainland. Italy drew over 61.5 million international visitors in 2025, and readers clearly found the warmth matched the crowds. Thailand (96.00), the perennial Land of Smiles, and India (95.87), new to the list, rounded out the ranking.
What's interesting for travellers is how consistent the pattern is: the highest-ranked countries tend to be places where hospitality is cultural, not commercial. Ireland's pub culture and its céad míle fáilte — a hundred thousand welcomes — New Zealand's Māori tradition of manaakitanga, and Costa Rica's pura vida all point to the same thing. You're not just a customer in these places; conversations turn into invitations, recommendations and shared meals. If genuine human connection matters to your trips more than box-ticking sights, this list reads like a shortlist of where to go next.
