The United States was the most preferred destination country globally for travellers in 2016, while in Asia the UAE was the top country for tourists, according to a new study.

The US topped globally with 11.9 per cent of the total tourists visiting the country. Italy with 8 per cent was the second most preferred destination country globally, followed by Germany (6.1 per cent), UK (5.9 per cent) and Spain (4.9 per cent) in the ranking prepared by HotelsPro, a technology and reservation solutions provider for travel industry professionals and a brand of the world's leading travel and accommodation supplier MetGlobal Group of Companies.