Himachal, the most welcoming region: Booking.com

Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel companies has unveiled the 10 Most Welcoming Places in India and on Earth as part of the 13th edition of the annual Traveller Review Awards 2025.

Himachal Pradesh leads as the most welcoming region

For the second consecutive year, Himachal Pradesh has been named the Most Welcoming Region in India, followed by Kerala and Goa. Bir emerges as the Most Welcoming City in India, followed by Mararikulam and Leh. Hotels, followed by homestays, apartments, and resorts, are among the most welcoming accommodation types for travellers in India.

Recognizing excellence in hospitality

Based on over 360 million verified customer reviews, the awards honour travel partners who consistently deliver outstanding hospitality and service and make travel experiences more memorable for travellers. This year, 15,674 travel partners in India have won Booking.com 2025 Traveller Review Awards, up from 13,348 winners in 2024. A record-breaking 1.71 million partners are being recognised, a 16% increase compared to the year prior. This includes 1,711,539 accommodations, 1,329 rental car companies, and 124 taxi providers.

From hotels to homestays: Evolving travel preferences

The awards this year showcase a diverse landscape of preferred accommodations among travellers in the country. While hotels remain a popular accommodation choice with 5,709 recipients in India, homestays (2,438), apartments (1,651), resorts (1,172), and guest houses (1,160) are gaining popularity, reflecting a growing preference for unique and personalised travel experiences. In India, the cities with the most awarded properties include Bengaluru, followed by New Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur, and Manali.

Globally, apartments (847,627) and holiday homes (259,105) are favoured for their unique and local experiences, followed by hotels (190,670), guest houses (88,934), and bed and breakfasts (73,022). These diverse trends point to the growing appetite of travellers for increasingly prioritising authenticity, local engagement, and flexible itineraries.

2025’s most welcoming places

Determined by the share of accommodation partners receiving a Traveller Review Award in a certain city as a proportion of the total properties in that destination, this year’s Most Welcoming Cities and Regions in India list showcases a diverse array of incredible destinations from around the country. Whether it’s adventure trails and pristine beaches or heritage walks and serene backwaters, these destinations showcase India’s diverse charm and warm hospitality that make India a truly captivating travel destination.

On the global stage, Italy leads as the country with the highest number of award recipients (207,730) for the eighth consecutive year, followed by France (155,203), Spain (147,700), Germany (102,031), and the United Kingdom (88,209). From Sigiriya in Sri Lanka to Ko Lanta in Thailand, each destination invites travellers to embark on a journey and create unforgettable memories.

A tribute to hospitality heroes

Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia at Booking.com, said, “Our Booking.com partners are the true heroes of hospitality, consistently going above and beyond to create unforgettable travel moments for the travellers.

Our Traveller Review Awards are our way of saying thank you – not just from Booking.com, but from the millions of travellers who rely on us to experience the world. These awards also reflect the dynamic shifts in traveller preferences, from the enduring appeal of hotels to the rise of alternative accommodations.

At Booking.com, we’re committed to innovating and working with our partners to offer a world-class travel experience, seamlessly connecting travellers with flights, ground transport attractions, and of course, unique places to stay.”