Abu Dhabi voted World's 'Best Business City' by US Travel Magazine

Having ranked highest in Global Traveler's ninth annual Tested Reader Survey - an eight-month poll generating more than 25,000 reader votes - Abu Dhabi joins previous winners, Bangkok (twice), Barcelona and Istanbul in scooping the prestigious international business destination award.

"The GT Tested Reader Survey awards are highly sought after and an unbiased reflection of the best in travel," said Francis Gallagher, Publisher & CEO of Global Traveler. "Our survey is unique from others as our readers have the only say. We offer warm congratulations to Abu Dhabi and compliment their hospitality product."

With a questionnaire voting format distributed via subscriber copies of Global Traveler, on the magazine's online platform, and through direct mail and email, respondents referenced Abu Dhabi's stunning hotel properties, incredible depth of business and MICE facilities and modern tourism infrastructure as setting the emirate apart.

"While an impressive portfolio of leisure-based product has enhanced Abu Dhabi's visitor proposition in recent years, catering to the international business community has always been the destination's forte. The US is a key source market for the emirate and awards of this nature only help build awareness of Abu Dhabi's multi-faceted offering as a world-class destination of distinction," said Mubarak Al Nuami, International Promotions Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) - the entity which manages the emirate's tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of heritage and culture-driven activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment.

"This award is timely as it will further position the emirate in the US market ahead of Etihad Airways' planned March launch of direct services from Washington DC to Abu Dhabi," added Al Nuami.

According to the latest TCA Abu Dhabi statistics, the USA was Abu Dhabi's fifth largest international hotel guest source market in the first 10 months of the year, with some 66,054 Americans staying in Abu Dhabi hotels - a 1% increase on the comparative period in 2011 - and accounting for 367,401 guest nights. Americans have proved to be the destination's second-highest longest-staying guests, averaging 5.56 nights.