“The top podium earned by Matera and Basilicata is the right recognition of the daily commitment of Lucanian tour operators who, despite the pandemic, have never given up welcoming guests in the best possible way. On behalf of the regional government and all the people of Basilicata, I would like to thank them one by one for having once again brought the hospitality system of Matera and Basilicata to the top. We will continue to stand by their side, especially in the most difficult times, such as those that the whole world is going through because of the pandemic”.
With these words, the President of the Basilicata Region, Vito Bardi, comments on the prestigious result obtained by Matera and Basilicata, which have won the gold medal in the Traveller Review Awards 2022 for the reception of tourists, as announced by the online booking platform Booking.com.
In fact, Matera is the most welcoming city in the world ahead of Bred (Slovenia) and Taitung (Taiwan) and seven other cities. The motivation: “Encompassing both celebrated architectural wonders and unspoilt natural beauty, the most welcoming destinations in 2022 offer memorable travel experiences in every corner of the globe. It has been the backdrop for successful films, and its cave houses carved out of the rock have made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Matera, this southern Italian wonder, tops the list of the World’s Most Welcoming Cities in 2022.”
Basilicata also takes first place in the welcoming ranking. The most welcoming regions of 2022 span six continents and include Taitung County (Taiwan), Tasmania (Australia) and Nova Scotia (Canada) for the second year running. According to the Italians, Basilicata is the most welcoming region in the world, surpassing regions such as Trentino Alto Adige (second place) and Valle d’Aosta (third place).
The rankings were compiled from over 232 million verified reviews from real travellers on Booking.com, the leading digital travel platform.
Satisfaction with this result was also expressed by the Director General of the Agenzia di Promozione Territoriale della Basilicata (Basilicata Territorial Promotion Agency), Antonio Nicoletti. “The hospitality system in Basilicata has made giant strides in the last five years, thanks not only to the quality of the facilities, but also and above all to the expertise of the operators, who have now reached extraordinary levels, as the two rankings confirm. These results help us to strengthen the promotion we are building at national and international level, knowing that, regardless of these extraordinary results, there is still a lot to do. We are doing all we can by opening up day after day to dialogue with operators and their suggestions. They deserve praise for this important result “.