Publish Date:2024-10-05
From vibrant Indian cities to culture-rich Southeast Asian capitals, these are the 20 friendliest cities in Asia.
When embarking on a journey to a new city, the warmth of a friendly welcome can make all the difference. From bustling markets to serene temples, the hospitality of locals can turn a trip into an unforgettable experience. But of all the cities in Asia, which of these are the friendliest?
To reveal the most welcoming Asian cities, we created a seed list of major cities across the continent and analyzed factors for each location, including the visitor return rate, acceptance of diversity, and each city’s safety index. We’ve also taken a look at the least-friendly cities in Asia using our findings.
At Preply, we believe that learning a language opens doors to new cultures and friendships. Whether you’re traveling to one of these cities or exploring other parts of the world, being able to communicate in the local language can transform your journey. So, whether you’re seeking a fresh start in a new location or simply craving a thrilling adventure, Preply can help you connect with locals and enhance your travel experiences through language learning.
Key findings
- Taipei is the friendliest city in Asia, with the highest diversity acceptance of any city, at 66 out of 100
- Singapore is the second-friendliest city in Asia, with the highest English language proficiency of any city, at 631
- The least friendly city in Asia is Mandalay, with the lowest friendliness to foreigners rating of all cities, scoring just 2 out of 5
Taipei is the friendliest city in Asia
Taipei, the bustling capital in northern Taiwan, is the friendliest city in Asia, according to our research.
With an acceptance score of 66 out of 100, Taipei boasts the highest diversity acceptance of any city, creating a welcoming environment for visitors from all walks of life. Not only this, but Taipei has the highest possible friendliness rating for foreigners, earning a perfect score of five out of five, ensuring you’ll receive a warm and hospitable welcome when you arrive.
Traveling to a new country can sometimes be daunting, but Taipei’s friendliness is also reflected in its commendable safety score, achieving 84.55 out of 100, the second-highest safety score out of all Asian cities in our analysis.
As well as welcoming tourists with open arms, Taipei showcases some of Asia’s best street food, boasts convenient public transport systems and has a range of cultural and historical attractions to explore.
The main language spoken in Taipei is Taiwanese Mandarin or Traditional Chinese, so if you are planning to visit the city, learning a few basic sentences with an online Chinese tutor from Taiwan will definitely help you establish basic conversations with locals. Plus, the majority of people in Taiwan can speak basic English phrases, so if you don’t dare with Chinese, you can always polish your language skills with a local English teacher from Taiwan.
Singapore is the second-friendliest city in Asia
Claiming second place is Singapore, the dynamic city-state and island famously known as the ‘Lion City’.
Notably, Singapore leads our analysis with the highest English language proficiency score (631) among all cities surveyed. Nearly half of the population speaks English at home. It’s understandable how friendly Singapore is, as a widespread use of English allows easy communication and accessibility for tourists, where English speakers can engage with locals without language barriers.
With so many beautiful places to visit, Singapore boasts a remarkable 14% visitor return rate, ranking among the highest in our study. Additionally, it has a commendable visitor acceptance rate of 164 out of 200.
Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. With around 30% of the population speaking Mandarin, and 9% speaking Tamil, having a few hours of online Chinese tuition or learning some basics of Malay can be extremely beneficial for those who want to get outside of their comfort zone and chat with the locals. No need to say that some classes with an English tutor from Singapore will help you get the local accent.
Delhi, Seoul, and Chennai complete the top five friendliest cities in Asia
Delhi, India’s vibrant capital territory, takes third place in our ranking of the friendliest Asian cities. This city has the highest visitor return rate, alongside Bangkok, with 18% of tourists reporting they’ve traveled there more than once.
The capital also follows just behind Singapore in terms of visitor acceptance, with a high score of 163. On top of this, it has a high acceptance score of diversity of 60, and scores a solid 4 out of 5 for friendliness to foreigners.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, follows in fourth place, with a friendliness to foreigners score of 4 out of 5, and a safety score of 75.57 out of 100. Chennai in India takes fifth place, with a high visitor return rate of 16% and a high visitor acceptance score of 163.
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