Romanians' perception of country's friendliness to foreigners is among the worst in Europe

Romania isn't a particularly welcoming place for foreigners, according to a World Economic Forum report on tourism featured by the Washington Post. Surveys were carried out in countries around the world in which the local people were asked about their country's openness to foreigners. Romania, along with several other Eastern European countries, ranked in the second lowest category. Neighboring Bulgaria, however, came out even worse, rated in the least welcoming to foreigners group. The most welcoming places in Europe were found to be the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia, all of which ranked in the highest category. Most of the other Western European countries also rated quite highly, but there was one notable exception; Denmark, which is in the same unwelcoming category as Romania. Poland and Hungary were rated on a par with Romania, while Slovakia came out in the bottom group, like Bulgaria. The Czech Republic appeared among the friendlier nations, as did Croatia and Slovenia. Around the world the most welcoming countries included Canada, Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the among the most unfriendly spots on the planet are apparently China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Columbia. Read the Washington Post article. editor@romania-insider.com