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Official capital of conviviality
Malcolm Rogers reflects on Ireland’s position as the
friendliest tourist destination in the world.
Well it’s finally official. Ireland has beaten off those strongholds
of chumminess such as Fiji, Vietnam and Indonesia to win the coveted title
of Friendliest Place On Earth, according to the Lonely Planet Guide.
Their considered verdict is: “Centuries of turmoil, conquest and
famine — and subsequent immigration — have certainly taken
their toll on the Irish; it’s left them with a deliciously dark
sense of humour and a welcoming attitude towards strangers.”
The Lonely Planet’s ruling applies to both sides of the border —
and rightly so. One of the central paradoxes of the Troubles, and one
which never ceased to amaze strangers, was how two sets of people could
be so murderously uncivil to each other yet be so unfailingly welcoming
to outsiders.
Now that the peace reigns in the North the whole of Ireland basks in the
reputation of being the most welcoming country in the world.
Largely speaking it’s a verdict the Travel Section of The Irish
Post would concur with. That’s not to say that if you live in Ireland
you’re going to have more bosom buddies or form deeper attachments
than elsewhere; in any case some of the unfriendliest people you’ll
meet anywhere are your friends. But in the day-to-day business of everyday
life there is still an assumption of goodwill in Ireland.
Friendliness and conviviality are not commodities that can be manufactured.
A few years back the French Tourist Board were worried the legendary insouciance
of their nation might begin to put tourists off (although I have to say
I’ve always found the French perfectly helpful). Anyway, les touriste
bosses decided to mount a campaign attempting to persuade hotel and restaurant
staff to be more welcoming to visitors. The tourist board even distributed
to bars and cafes etc. notices saying “Welcome” in a variety
of European languages. The average patron du hotel merely put the sign
up behind his bar and if a tourist entered would shrug and point a thumb
over his shoulder at the welcoming poster.
Unlike France, in Ireland people are inveterate greeters, saying hello
to you in almost all country areas and in some towns. On rural roads some
car drivers still acknowledge you and out on the open mountain if someone
doesn’t stop for a chat, they’re labelled anti-social. It’s
still possible to go into pubs and shops in Ireland and be treated like
a local. And a traveller can ask for no more than that.
Dublin, is of course, a huge metropolis these days and you wouldn’t
expect rural values to pertain. A friend of mine was recently shopping
in an American-style shop in the capital where the salesgirl was almost
comically surly. On paying for his purchase, he couldn’t resist
saying to her: “Aren’t you supposed to say Have A Nice Day?”
The girl barely looked up as she said: “It’s written on the
f****** receipt.”
And indeed it was.
My own experiences of Dublin have been more uplifting. I stopped to
ask a 30-something guy the way to Smithfield market. He turned out to
be not only helpful but friendly as well and happened to be going the
same way. We enjoyed a 20-minute conversation en route ranging from his
job (civil servant) to the redevelopment of Smithfield. We were almost
off for a pint together. It was a small vignette which I suspect would
have occurred in very few other cities in Europe. But the funny thing
was that our civil servant friend dolefully told me: Ireland just isn’t
a friendly place any more.
The top five friendliest places visited by the Travel Section
this year (not including Ireland)... :
 USA
— anyone who has been in the US will confirm this: the Americans
are just about the friendliest,
most helpful people you’ll come across (Exception — immigration
officials).
France (Northern) — delightful people, particularly a Madame
du Champs who lives near St. Riquier.
Italy — asking for directions can become a social occasion
Sweden — bucking all known stereotypes, people even chat to
you in the train; meanwhile policemen,
speaking English up to UN translator
standard, are happy to give you clear directions.
Austria — The craic in Austria regularly reaches 90, with
occasional bursts up to 120.
Scotland — once again, bucking the stereotypes, a warm welcome
awaits you north of the other border.
...and the bottom five :
 Iceland
— actually, the jury’s out on this. Some people are extremely
helpful (funnily enough, airport officials
etc are very approachable) but don’t expect a terribly warm reception
in hotels and bars.
England (London) — low level of aggression everywhere.
The Basque Country — While asking for directions in a small
village, people just scurried on, not even acknowledging
my query (I tried both English and Spanish but alas not Basque). One sullen
waitress — who uttered not one word from
the time I walked in — is probably still looking for my wine.
Switzerland — some of the rudest public officials on the face
of the earth. If you don’t enjoy yourself here the Holiday Police
come and shoot you.
Slovakia — After being chased down a street by an irate lavatory
cleaner whom I’d failed to tip; a taxi driver merely sneered when
I gave him the address of my hotel.
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