The most welcoming people? (page 6 of 8)

Well, yeah, you're just too adorable! But not everyone is that lucky, mind you.

Nine years ago, the English were my favorites:

Welcoming without being intrusive, and a sense of humor that suited me. 😛

Since I haven’t been back to that country, I don’t know if that’s still the case.

Everyone will have their own idea based on what they’re looking for in terms of welcome.

An overbearing people isn’t "welcoming" to me.

The welcome should also be free—no expectations in return. Otherwise, it’s just a commercial attitude.

It’s about putting someone back on the right path, sharing a joke for a moment, smiling. A brief moment of connection.

It’s definitely not about imposing yourself, being clingy, or inviting people left and right.

The welcome in the USA feels pretty off-putting to me. You never know if it’s commercial or genuine, if the words are just empty or if there’s real interest.

Some peoples can be both incredibly welcoming and a nightmare. I’m thinking of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

To be honest, I don’t really care about the welcome, at least not beyond a certain point. It’s not what I’m looking for when I travel.

I guess no one will mention the Germans. For one thing, it's not a major tourist destination—not the first place people think of, anyway.

I spent a lot of time with them in the past, and I can say it’s easy to end up invited over, and they’re happy to share what they have. One word sums up a lot of my memories: joviality. Someone once told me that while they’re really friendly at first, they tend to drift away later. But who knows if that was just a personal experience or a general thing.

I suppose no one will mention the Germans. Already because it’s not a major tourist destination, not the first country people think of, anyway.

I’ve spent a lot of time with them in the past, and I can say you often end up being invited, and they’re happy to share what they have. The word that sums up a lot of my encounters is "joviality." Someone once told me that while they’re super friendly at first, they tend to drop you later. But who knows if that was just a personal experience or a general thing.

Germany is a priority for me to visit, especially for its castles and forests. 🤔 As for the Germans I met while working in equestrian tourism, I had a different impression of them than you did. They’d show up drunk as skunks at insane hours, especially given the temperatures, and they *had* to gallop ("gallop fast, Camargue horses go vroom," as they’d say like pigs). 😂 And most of them weighed over 130 kilos. 😱 Luckily, I had a pair of horses specially for obese riders that could handle the weight of these very particular clients. Unfortunately, there were a lot of broken saddles and tack (which they willingly paid for), but when it came to the horses, they couldn’t care less about exhausting them. So, not the best memories of people who don’t understand you shouldn’t drink like demons during siesta time in 50°C heat, especially if you want to enjoy horseback rides in the wild. On the other hand, you could say they’re fun-loving, but maybe a bit over the top.

Okay, but the topic is about welcoming *people*, not *welcoming people*.

They work while we wander around. I think the key is really our own attitude.

That’s so true! As I mentioned earlier, people are your own mirror...😇 Having said that, there’s "interested" hospitality and sincere hospitality. It’s not easy to tell the difference between the two, especially when you’re only passing through a country as a tourist for a few days—something we all do to some extent on this forum.

I lived and worked in the UK for a few years. I wouldn’t say Anglo-Saxons are the most welcoming people on earth, but they’re generally polite and courteous. It’s hard, if not impossible, to deepen relationships there. In New Zealand and Western Australia, I found the locals much more sociable, but we were traveling as tourists. The people we met in the western USA were very often open and welcoming. How many times were we invited into their homes... It’s really easy to strike up a conversation, but the relationships still tend to stay pretty superficial. Without generalizing too much, people in all these countries are "helpful," a quality that France sadly lacks...

When traveling, I really enjoyed connecting with Iranians and Syrians. I found them quite disinterested, unlike in countries in the Near and Middle East that suffer from overtourism.

There are also a lot of "truly kind" people in the Balkans.

But for me, the award for kindness goes to Nepalis (when you’re a tourist). Even though most locals have a commercial interest in being helpful, many are very poor, yet they always go out of their way to make you happy. I honestly love going back to that country regularly. Such positive vibes...😇

Everyone will have their own idea based on what kind of welcome they're looking for.

True. In this discussion, we're talking about "accueil" (welcome) and "rencontres" (meet-ups). They’re not quite the same thing.

The welcome should also be free; the host shouldn’t expect anything in return. Otherwise, it’s just a commercial attitude.

Still, that commercial attitude—warm, personalized, and unobtrusive welcome—is really important to me. I hate feeling like a sucker being hustled when I walk into any shop or tourist spot.

I’d like to add one thing: the more openness you sow, the more sincerity you reap. No matter the country or the people ;)

The more openness you sow, the more sincerity you reap.

What do you mean by that exactly?

in Western Australia

I won’t argue with that!!!

The more openness you sow, the more sincerity you reap.

What do you mean by that exactly?

It means people reflect back what you’re able to give. In travel, just like in real life. (I’m speaking generally, not about you ;))

hi, Tahitians are really welcoming. When you arrive at Papeete Airport, they’re all playing the ukulele, wearing flower necklaces, and they personally give you a flower necklace as a gift. They welcome you by saying *Te Onara*. Anyway, I’m just imagining—I’ve never actually set foot in Papeete

I didn’t take it personally. 🙂

People reflect back what you’re capable of giving. In travel as in real life.

I don’t know, I’m not really convinced.

I’m also not convinced that an entire people can be welcoming or unpleasant as a whole.

I think most are indifferent, some are curious, and others are interested (not necessarily financially).

I also think, as has already been mentioned, that the more touristy a place is, the more unwelcoming it becomes. Too much of a good thing...

Finally, if the cultural gap between people is too wide, the welcome can turn into an incident or discomfort.

I also think that, as has already been mentioned, the more touristy a place is, the more it's a real letdown. Too much of a good thing can be bad...

Not necessarily. It really depends on the visitor's attitude.

Finally, if the cultural gap between people is too big, the welcome can turn into an incident or discomfort.

Again, if the tourist with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop makes no effort and doesn’t give up any of their cultural norms, things can definitely go wrong.

To wrap up, I’d rather be greeted warmly in a shop, even if the interaction comes with a price tag.

I wasn’t seeing the discussion through the behavior of visitors. Simply put, where do you receive the best welcome, no matter who you are? That’s how I understood it. You’d have to have visited a lot of countries to confidently weigh in on that. And spent several weeks in different places too.

On that note, for a region I know well, which of you have been to Alsace and what was your experience like in terms of hospitality?

hello, Tahitians are very welcoming. When you arrive at Papeete Airport, they’re all playing the ukulele, wearing flower necklaces, and they personally give you a flower necklace. They welcome you by saying Te Onara. Anyway, I’m just imagining because I’ve never set foot in Papeete

I can confirm. They’re indeed very welcoming to tourists. The ukulele at the airport upon arrival isn’t a myth. Back when we were there, they were even playing while masked (It was during the summer of 2021). I had seriously considered requesting a transfer there for 3 years, but it didn’t happen. I probably would’ve lost my illusions...

I wasn’t looking at the discussion through the behavior of visitors. Just where do you receive the best welcome, whoever you are.

It’s still an interaction! 😊

good evening Nimou74, thanks for the reply. I may joke about things, but when it comes to Polynesia, there’s still another side to the story, isn’t there?

Not necessarily. It really depends on the visitor’s attitude.

It’s like at any counter (whether private or public): when you’re asked the same thing for the millionth time, you eventually lose patience...

Again, if the tourist with their big clunky shoes makes no effort and doesn’t give up any of their cultural habits, it can definitely cause friction.

You could write the same sentence replacing "tourist" with "local"...

You have to accept others as they are. Isn’t that the foundation of hospitality?

And to conclude, I’d rather be greeted warmly in a shop, even if the interaction is transactional.

Yes and no.

If it’s too overly sweet, I either end up feeling uncomfortable or find the place suspicious.

In the topic, there’s "people" and "welcoming"? People are sedentary (or nomadic!) in places where they receive visitors. They’re welcoming when they offer you hospitality, share their lives, tell you about their lives, and take an interest in yours. That’s when we appreciate things, but sometimes the time—our "visit" time—is short! Still, we value the quality of the encounter and the possible exchanges! I forgot in my "welcoming peoples"... Cubans! And the Guatemalan Indians! Burkinabés! The Japanese! Good evening! Lillie

Attila once explained that meeting people while traveling wasn’t her priority. She also said she didn’t mind only being with other tourists while traveling. I also like knowing who’s behind the usernames, so I’m taking note of what’s being said 😊