The beautiful country that’s 26C in December named the world’s ‘friendliest’

Travelling to a holiday destination where the hospitality is great makes the whole trip even more worthwhile. It will most likely have you wanting to extend the holiday or already planning your next visit back there.

Well, as part of Conde Nast Traveller’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, they gathered the opinions of travellers to find out where in the world you will find the most hospitable people.

It just so happened that a beautiful country full of gorgeous landscapes bagged the number one spot with an incredible score of 96.15, making it the world’s ‘friendliest’ country.

Costa Rica in Central America welcomed over 2.4 million visitors in 2023, a record-breaking year for tourism in the country.

It is probably fair to say that along with the country’s warm climate and beautiful views, the hospitality experienced there is probably what is giving it a boost in terms of tourism numbers. 

Conde Nast Traveller wrote: “Taking the top spot, Costa Rica is home to dynamic rainforests, world-class surfing and, of course friendly people. ‘Pure Vida’ (meaning ‘pure life’) is their national expression, used by locals as a greeting but also as a guiding principle. Costa Rican lifestyle is centred around positivity and gratitude, and this infectious optimism enriches the outlooks of visitors too.”

The friendly locals are only one of the many reasons that Costa Rica is a great country to escape to during the UK’s cold season. The average high temperature in Costa Rica this month is an incredible 26C, and sometimes it can reach a high 32C. 

A country where both the weather and hospitality is warm, what could be better than that?

Costa Rica is also a very eco-friendly place, with 25 percent of the country’s land protected by conservation reserves, which means the country’s natural beauty will remain for generations to appreciate. The country says that their “health and happiness are tied to the environment.” 

The country boasts 29 national parks, including La Amistad International Park, the country’s largest protected area, which is also shared with Panama. It is one of the places in the country which makes Costa Rica recognised as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.

But something that can’t be forgotten is the magnificent beaches the country has to offer. Dotted around the country are pristine white-sand paradises which can’t be topped, making Costa Rica an absolute haven to visit.