Chester is one of the ‘10 most welcoming cities on earth’ with a ‘world class offering’, according to a study based on millions of customer reviews. Tony McDonough reports
Most people in Merseyside and across the North West are aware of the value of Chester as a visitor destination – and now that is recognised at a global level.
Booking.com’s Traveller Review Awards 2025 have placed Chester, a city that was founded as a Roman fortress in the 1st century AD, 10th on its Most Welcoming Cities on Earth list. It was the only UK city to make the list. Sigiriya in Sri Lanka is top.
Organisers say the awards, based on over 360 million verified customer reviews, honour “travel partners who consistently deliver outstanding hospitality and service”.
Cheshire tourism leaders said the accolade was further proof that the city and region as a whole was a “must-visit destination with a world class reputation”.
This award comes amid the latest STEAM data crunched by Marketing Cheshire which shows the region’s visitor economy is worth £3.9bn with more than 56m visitor days recorded across Cheshire and Warrington in 2023 – a 2.4% rise on the previous year.
Chester offers boutiques, shops, bars and hotels and is home to a diverse range of attractions including Roman history, the world’s oldest racecourse, Grade I-listed Chester Cathedral and globally renowned Chester Zoo.
Chair of Marketing Cheshire, Trevor Brocklebank, said: “We know Chester and Cheshire as a whole has unrivalled hospitality and world class attractions which help generate billions to our economy, attracting millions of visitors each year.
“Accolades such as this help cement the region’s global reputation and is testament to the glowing reviews left by those visiting this extraordinary city.”
Chester’s position among the world’s best cities in the Booking.com awards follows Visit England’s Annual Attractions Survey last year which saw Cheshire enjoy a double helping of success in the survey’s Top 20 Most Visited Paid Attractions in England table.
Chester Zoo was ranked third in the table with 1,835,374 visitors alone in 2023 and it was joined in the table by Tatton Park which was ranked 20th after seeing 720,000 people flock to the historic estate in Knutsford.
In August LBN revealed Chester had launched a campaign to bring in more visitors from across the UK. Marketing Cheshire is targeting travellers on the London Underground and other UK train stations promoting Chester as the ideal destination for a city break.
READ MORE: Chester Zoo releases images of new ‘safari lodges’
Colin Potts, chair of Destination Chester, added: “Along with its famous and glorious attractions, Chester is home to wonderful independent hotels, shops, restaurants, outdoor cafes and market stalls.
“The Town Crier provides a personal welcome each day at noon in summer, and the street entertainers and Roman soldiers do the same throughout the year. Chester is one of the UK’s safest cities too. Safety and welcome go hand in hand.”
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