Abu Dhabi has quietly picked up another global nod, this time for something visitors tend to remember long after the trip ends. The UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, has been ranked the eighth most welcoming city in the world after thousands of traveller reviews were analysed across restaurants, cafés, attractions and leisure spots.
Abu Dhabi Makes The List Of The World’s Most Welcoming Cities And Lands In The Top 10
More than half of the comments mentioned friendly service, helpful staff and generally positive experiences as reported by Gulf Today.
For a city that has spent years building itself into a tourism hotspot, it’s probably the kind of ranking officials won’t mind showing off.
Visitors Seem To Remember The People As Much As The Places
The study looked at over 100,000 reviews spread across 107 cities around the world. Rather than focusing on landmarks or hotel prices, it paid attention to something a little more personal: how visitors felt they were treated.
Researchers checked between 30 and 50 locations in every city included in the ranking. Around a thousand reviews were analysed for each destination. The idea was simple enough. Did people feel welcome? Were the staff helpful? Was the service good? Those answers shaped the final rankings. Abu Dhabi ended up with 55.3 per cent of reviews highlighting positive interactions and service quality.
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Edinburgh Took The Top Spot This Time
The Scottish city of Edinburgh came out on top with 59 per cent of visitors mentioning positive service experiences.
Hanoi followed closely behind with 58.6 per cent, while Liverpool took third place with 58.3 per cent.
Paris came fourth, which may surprise some travellers who have heard all the stereotypes over the years.
Dublin landed in fifth place, followed by Montreal and Vienna.
Abu Dhabi secured eighth position overall, placing ahead of Birmingham and Bristol.
For Many Travellers, Small Moments Matter
A smooth hotel check-in. Helpful restaurant staff. Someone giving directions without rushing you.
That said, rankings like this are rarely about one big attraction or headline-grabbing project. They usually come down to everyday experiences. Abu Dhabi has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure over the last decade. But this result suggests visitors are noticing the people behind those experiences too. And honestly, that’s probably harder to build than a new attraction.
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The City Keeps Adding Reasons For People To Come Back
Tourism in Abu Dhabi has grown steadily over recent years, helped by new attractions, expanding flight connections and a packed events calendar.
But getting visitors through the airport doors is only half the challenge. Getting them to leave with good stories is the other half.
Cover Image Courtesy: Visit Abu Dhabi/Website
FAQs
Which city came first?
Edinburgh topped the rankings with the highest percentage of positive service reviews.