Two Irish cities – Dublin and Cork – have made it into the top 50 friendliest cities in the world, in a survey carried out by Big 7 Travel. Dublin is in sixth position and Cork is at number 17.

The popular travel website asked its ‘travel obsessed’ social audience of some 1.5 million followers to decide on the friendliest cities around the globe. To view the results, click here.

Welcoming the news, Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets, said: “I am delighted to see two of our cities appear in the Big 7 poll of friendliest cities around the globe. It is another well-deserved accolade for Dublin and Cork. Again and again, our research shows us that the friendliness of our people is one of our unique selling points. It is the warm welcome and the ‘craic’ here that resonates with our overseas visitors and makes our cities, and the island of Ireland, such a great choice for a short break or holiday. This accolade by the Big 7 followers on social media gives Tourism Ireland another great platform to continue to promote our cities and Ireland around the world as a ‘must see’ destination.”

This is what Big 7 followers had to say about Dublin:
“For such a small city, Dublin packs a serious punch when it comes to friendliness. People here are good-natured, with a good sense of humour. Whether you’re lost or just looking for a chat in a pub, Dubliners will be on hand to help out. Locals even thank the bus driver – the perfect example of classic Irish warmth!”

Comments about Cork included:
“Cork is a charming and compact riverside city, where the chances of a stranger saying hi to you on the street are likely.”