Victoria residents can be counted on to have a nice day today, and every day. A survey by Condé Nast Traveler confirms what we already knew — Victoria is the friendliest city in the Northern Hemisphere.
We’re sorry that we were beat out for top spot by Auckland, New Zealand, and Melbourne, Australia. We’re sorry that we’re not sorrier.
Last year, we weren’t quite as nice because, sadly, we were ranked No. 14.
We obviously made a good impression on more than 46,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers who described Victoria as a destination you need “at least a week to see.” Probably another day or two if you go as far out as Costco.
“I’m almost embarrassed that we’ve been outed,” Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said.
He, like many of us, cannot see tourists staring at an upside-down map without butting in and asking if they need help. Nicely, of course.
“So many people come to see the built architecture, the natural environment and all the attractions, but what I think always impresses are the people,” Fortin said.
The mayor said he has helped lost tourists find the city sights. One day, he spotted such a couple looking lost and asked, “How can I help you?”
They said they were looking for Chinatown, so Fortin offered to escort them since he was heading that way.
“We started chatting and they said, ‘Where do you work?’ and I said I worked for the city. As we’re passing city hall, they laughed and joked, ‘Hey, you’re not the mayor are you?’ ”
Cue the entrance of a Chinatown businessman who walked by and said, “Good morning, Your Worship.”
The tourists were astounded. Fortin laughed that he’d been exposed “and then there was about 10 minutes of photos.”
Victoria residents are happy to help tourists, and that’s a big reason why we come off as so nice, he said.
“We want to make sure our visitors have the best experience, knowing that almost all of us started as visitors and chose to stay.”
Earlier this year, Victoria was ranked the fifth-best destination in Canada by TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.
