Detroit Named Best US City For Business Travel

by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:30 AM ET, Tue April 4, 2017

The city of Detroit certainly has taken its hard knocks in the past.

But with a bevy of companies-including four Fortune 500 firms-and a modern, sophisticated airport, it's the best place in the country to do business, according to a new survey.

Travel risk management provider On Call International released its Business Travel Productivity Report, and Motown was ranked No. 1 for major U.S. cities for business travel.

The report evaluates the 20 largest U.S markets, ranking them on business travel efficiency. This was based on several key factors, including on-time flights, average hotel prices, reliability of 4G LTE mobile networks, traffic congestion and emergency room efficiency.

Each measured factor was determined by On Call International's team of senior experts. They paint a picture of the issues that could have a major impact on the productivity of America's business travelers and their employers-from the number of on-time flights and lodging costs (which could cause employees to stay in less-than-reputable hotels or neighborhoods far from meeting locations), to spotty mobile network coverage and gridlock traffic en route to meetings.

Detroiters will tell you that I-94 traffic can be a bear, as can commuting from the northern suburbs from Eight Mile Rd. and southward, but it pales in comparison to other cities on the list, including Los Angeles and New York.

Interestingly, the rankings also took into account how efficient emergency rooms were in each city-a crucial aspect to consider if a business traveler needs medical care during their trip. This includes the average door-to-diagnostic times and how often a person leaves a medical facility without being treated.

[READMORE]READ MORE: Detroit One Of The Top 10 Airports In TravelPulse Survey [/READMORE]

"There are several issues that could arise during business travel that have the potential to affect employee safety and productivity- and also impact their organization's bottom line," Thomas Davidson, Vice President of On Call International, said in a statement.

"Clients, customers and partners may not be sympathetic when it comes to missed meetings or late deliverables in today's always-on digital work environments, and staying connected while avoiding major obstacles like flight delays and gridlock traffic is paramount to a road warrior's productivity and success. We encourage employers to implement a comprehensive travel risk management program in order to mitigate the unique risks, both large and small, presented by any city."

Here are the rankings of the top 20 cities best suited for business.

1. Detroit, Michigan

2. Phoenix, Arizona

3. Cleveland, Ohio

4. Minneapolis, Minnesota

5. Denver, Colorado

6. Dallas, Texas

7. Sacramento, California

8. Tampa, Florida

9. Orlando, Florida

10. Houston, Texas

11. Seattle, Washington