Dublin has been voted the fifth friendliest city in the world by readers of a US travel magazine. Condé Nast Traveler compiled the survey - which saw Auckland in New Zealand and Melbourne in Australia sharing the top spot.

Dublin's position is shared with the Australian city of Sydney.

Tourism Ireland has welcomed the news, saying that events like the Dublin Horse Show, Fringe Festival and Theatre Festival have helped keep our capital on top.

The placing of the capital at number five is up from its previous rating of 13 last year. The survey finds Dublin is a "vibrant city" that is a "bibliophile's dream."

It says that apart from being "green, lush, and very walkable", it is also "the kind of place you stop in for a drink in a local pub, only to end up chatting with the locals for the next five hours."

Welcoming the news, Niall Gibbons of Tourism Ireland said "Again and again, our research shows us that the friendliness of our people is one of our unique selling points."

Auckland in New Zealand topped the list | Image: Visit Auckland

"It is the warm welcome and the 'craic' here that resonates with our overseas visitors and makes Dublin and Ireland such a great choice for a short break or holiday."

"This accolade by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine gives Tourism Ireland a wonderful platform to continue to promote Dublin and the island of Ireland throughout the world as a ‘must-see’ destination," he added.

On the flip side, Johannesburg in South Africa was voted as the unfriendliest city in the world. The survey noted that while Johannesburg is beautiful, "safety still remains a serious concern."

Milan also came in for criticism, with the survey finding that if you are looking for the "traditional Italian friendliness and hospitality," you will not find it there.

Paris, Moscow and Monte Carlo also come in as some of the most unfriendliest places.