AMERICAN luxury travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler has ranked Perth as the second-friendliest city in the world.

That might come as a surprise to some, particularly any victims of a recent road-rage attack or drug-fuelled robbery.

But hundreds of thousands of readers voted in Conde Nast’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards, so who are we to disagree?

The concept of “friendliness” is not limited to the attitude of the residents. Safety, amenities and ease of navigation can also be taken into account.

It is a welcome salve for the pain of being named one of the world’s most dangerous cities by British newspaper The Sun.

The Sun’s list, released last month, was based on its own dubious research.

Perhaps that was why Perth found itself in the company of war-torn Raqqa and Mogadishu.

Back to Conde Nast.

It is not the first time an Australian city has made the list.

Sydney was the runner-up last year after claiming the top spot in 2015. Melbourne tied with Auckland for first in 2014.

This year’s winner was San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico.

Here is what the editorial team had to say about Perth’s debut.

“While Sydney and Melbourne have for ever got plenty of attention, Perth has put itself on the map in recent times becoming Australia’s rising star thanks to a boom of hip restaurants and lodgings,” they said.

“As one reader said, ‘I’ve never said wow so many times’. That alone says volumes.”

Jacques Pelissier has been driving tourists around the city for Perth Explorer for two years.

Originally from France, he had seen plenty of the world by the time he decided to stay in Perth in 1985. He said his customers were most impressed by the weather and cleanliness.

Tess Carlo is visiting from Canberra with her husband and his cousin from the Philippines.

She had a theory about why Perth seemed more welcoming than her home city. “There are more politicians in Canberra.”