Which are the world’s friendliest countries to visit? From US to India, where to expect the warmest welcomes

It’s often the people we meet on our travels who remain etched in our memories long after the temples, beaches and night markets have been forgotten: the passers-by who stop to offer directions then decide to take us there themselves; the waiters with a relaxed approach to bills (“Twelve euros but call it 10”); and the folk who invite us into their houses for a cup of tea then insist we stay for dinner.

Compiling a list of the world’s friendliest people by nationality is not without its challenges. Stereotyping is inevitable, especially as our exposure to a local population is often limited to hotel receptionists, tourist information officers and guides, all of whom are paid to be cheerful and polite. Friendliness is relative, however. Residents in the former Yugoslav republics of Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia went out of their way to make sure this writer felt at home – a courtesy they don’t always extend to each other. In Pakistan, I was treated with kindness and respect but solo female travellers I met experienced things differently.

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The following nationalities do more to promote the image of their homeland than any number of tourist board marketing campaigns. They have an extra spring in their stride and a twinkle in their eye, and think nothing of helping out complete strangers.

The Irish are invariably described as “high-spirited” (drunk), “bubbly” (drunk on sparkling wine) and “full of life” (full of beer). But let’s skip the stereotypes. One in five adults in Ireland is teetotal and plenty of Paddies wince at the “all Irish are drunks” tag.

Good natured and fun – a dry sense of humour is almost compul­sory on the Emerald Isle; when I asked a man in Galway why the houses on his water­front street were painted in different colours, he explained that it was to help the owners find their way home after a night out.