Hanoi ranked world's second friendliest city for service

Hanoi has been named the world's second friendliest city for customer service in a new global ranking by UK price comparison and financial services platform MoneySuperMarket.

The Vietnamese capital ranked behind Edinburgh in the United Kingdom and was the only city from Southeast Asia to make the global top 10.

According to MoneySuperMarket, warm hospitality from hotel staff, restaurant employees and other service workers can leave as lasting an impression on travellers as iconic landmarks and famous attractions, particularly during the peak summer travel season.

To compile the ranking, the company analysed more than 100,000 traveller reviews covering 107 cities worldwide.

Researchers examined around 1,000 reviews for each destination across 30-50 restaurants, bars, tourist attractions and travel experiences before calculating the proportion of reviews that highlighted the friendliness of customer service.

Edinburgh topped the ranking, with 59 per cent of reviews praising the friendliness and helpfulness of its service staff. In addition to renowned attractions such as Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile, the Scottish capital was recognised for its welcoming atmosphere.

Hanoi placed second, with 58.6 per cent of reviews mentioning friendly service.

It was followed by Liverpool in the United Kingdom with 58.3 per cent, while Paris and Dublin completed the top five.

European cities dominated this year's ranking, accounting for seven of the top 10 places. The United Kingdom had the strongest representation, with Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol all making the list.

Outside Europe, Montreal was the only North American city in the top 10, while Abu Dhabi was the sole representative from the Middle East.

No US city made the top 10. San Diego was the country's highest-ranked destination in 14th place, followed by Phoenix in 17th.

Hanoi has also earned international recognition in previous travel rankings. It was placed 11th in Time Out magazine's list of the 20 friendliest cities in the world, based on a survey of local residents.

In 2026, the Vietnamese capital also featured in Condé Nast Traveler's list of the 50 most beautiful cities in the world.