Quote: (08-16-2014 01:01 AM)El Chinito loco Wrote:
Mainstream media top 10 travel lists are for the wealthy white retiree demographic who is loaded with cash. These people are staying at posh hotels and don't interact with locals much outside of tourist venues. They certainly aren't doing things like gaming local girls or exploring real culture. They are looking for manufactured experiences to justify all those hard years of corporate slavery and wasted youth before they go back home and enter into their coffin.
Nailed it. By 'friendliest city', they really mean 'friendliest 4/5 star hotel staff'.
Even among English-speaking cities, there's no way in hell Melbourne and Auckland (been to both places) are nearly half as friendly as New Orleans, Houston or Memphis.
And if you read on, the survey was done by CNN readers. I think that says all you need to know.