A new 500 page study on the competitiveness of 144 nations worldwide in terms of travel and tourism has attracted media attention as it includes a ranking of 140 of those nations in terms of their friendliness to tourists arriving on their shores.
This has generated a more eclectic list that the fairly obvious major-European and North American nations dominated top 20 in terms of economic competitiveness.
The report has been compiled by the World Economic Forum, a major global think tank based in Switzerland which famously stages an annual get together of world political and business leaders in Davos each January and, they say, pulls in data from dozens of sources worldwide including the likes of UNESCO ), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) as well as major airlines and many other travel bodies.
The majority of the top 10 most friendly, and indeed several of those placed from 130 to 140 at the bottom of the table (so presumably 'least welcoming') are, to a greater or lesser extent, ski nations.
Iceland, home to around a dozen small ski areas, which has become very affordable since its post-economic crash currency devaluation tops the friendliness table while Austria, at number 5, is the highest placed major ski nation for friendliness says the report.
Also in the top 10 were the Southern hemisphere ski nation of New Zealand at number 2, home to Atlas mountains skiing Morocco at number 3, and former Yugoslav Republic and home to half a dozen ski centres Macedonia at number 4. Portugal at number 7 and former winter Olympics venue Bosnia and Herzegovina at number 8 were the two other ski nations in the top 10.
Bolivia, once home to the world's highest lift-served ski run at Chacaltaya was rated 140th and world's least friendly nation, but 2014 Winter Olympic hosts Russia, were 138th – the third most unfriendly.
Other countries with ski areas in the bottom 10 for friendliness included Iran, Pakistan, the Slovak Republic, Mongolia and the budget destination in British tour operator programmes – Bulgaria
The full 500 page report is available to download for some light bedtime reading at http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TT_Competitiveness_Report_2013.pdf