“Howya getting on?”
“Great. You?”
“Good. You?”
*cue awkward glances at each other*
Here in Dublin, we’ve always been a friendly lot so it’s nice to see that fact finally acknowledged by an international travel publication. Our fair city has been placed at number six in Big 7 Travel’s list of the 50 friendliest cities in the world.
The website asked its social audience of 1.5 million people to vote on the cities they found to be the friendliest and sure enough, they placed Dublin just ahead of Christchurch in New Zealand and just behind Hamburg in Germany.
Paying tribute to the Irish capital, the blurb on the site reads:
‘For such a small city, Dublin packs a serious punch when it comes to friendliness. People here are good-natured, with a good sense of humour. Whether you’re lost or just looking for a chat in a pub, Dubliners will be on hand to help out. Locals even thank the bus driver – the perfect example of classic Irish warmth!’
Hold on, people don’t thank the bus driver everywhere else? Madness.
Dublin isn’t the only Irish representative in the top 20 either with Cork coming in at number 17. The Rebel City’s placing is accompanied by the words:
‘Ireland may be a small country, but its reputation of friendly locals is known worldwide, so it makes sense that not one but two Irish cities were voted onto this year’s list. Cork is a charming and compact riverside city, where the chances of a stranger saying ‘hi’ to you on the street are likely.’
As for the number one spot, nobody could beat Vancouver of which Big 7 says: ‘The city has an amazing multicultural community who band together to make visitors feel welcome and safe at all times. Locals are quick to offer assistance to tourists and the community vibe makes socialising in Vancouver simple.’
So there you have it, Dubliners. Continue doing us proud if you’re out and about tonight. The full list of the top 50 friendliest cities in the world can be read here.
