Bring on the tourists

Fort Worth named among 50 best places to travel in 2024 by Travel + Leisure

Skip the vacation and plan a staycation.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth CVB

Fort Worth residents may want to forgo their travel plans next year and opt for a staycation. A new Travel + Leisure report has named Fort Worth one of the The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2024, specifically highlighting the region for its "big-city thrills."

Fort Worth was the only Texas city to makeTravel + Leisure's prestigious list, and one of just a handful of U.S. cities (including Cleveland and Kansas City, Missouri). It's keeping good company with the likes of international destinations such as Paris, Istanbul, and Bangkok.

The annual report was compiled by more than 20 Travel + Leisure staffers who picked the cities based on their own travel experiences. The chosen places were divided into seven categories, for: cultural immersion, food and drinks, big-city thrills, moments on the water, nature lovers, beach vibes, and adventurous travelers.

"These are the destinations that have captured our imaginations, the spots where T+L editors want to spend their own time in the year ahead," the report's authors wrote.

Fort Worth's booming tourism industry raked in $3 billion in revenue just in 2022, the report says. From several highly-anticipated hotel openings (including one that's enticed a famed Food Network chef) to fun attractions like cattle drives and stock shows, the authors note, there's plenty to explore across the city.

Fort Worth's museums are another major magnet drawing people to the city, the report says. Tourists can explore the history of aviation at the Fort Worth History of Science and History, or spend some time appreciating beautiful paintings at the Kimbell Art Museum.

The report also references a new museum exhibit coming next year, and a long-awaited new museum celebrating Black history that's expected in 2025.

"The National Cowgirl Museum...will run a 2024 exhibit honoring the Mexican female horseback riding tradition of escaramuza charra," said Mariah Tyler, Travel + Leisure's associate visuals director. "Looking ahead, the National Juneteenth Museum is scheduled to open in the city’s Historic Southside neighborhood in 2025."

Other cities that are the best places to travel in 2024 "for the big-city thrills" are:

Bangkok, Thailand
Cleveland, Ohio
Istanbul, Turkey
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
Louisville, Kentucky
Montreal, Canada
Paris, France

The full report can be found on travelandleisure.com.

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Travel Tip

One Texas city hailed best place to travel in 2025 by Travel + Leisure

Photo by Robert Lerma

Travel + Leisure spoke highly of San Antonio's new and popular Pullman Market.

One group of proud Texans can now say they live in a destination city. Nationally recognized magazine Travel + Leisure has declared San Antonio one of the best places to travel in 2025.

The publication's annual "Where to Go" list reviews nearly 120 notable places around the globe and chooses only 50 for its collection of best destinations. Winners are then categorized into one of seven categories: cultural immersion, nature lovers, big-city thrills, moments on the water, food and drinks, beach vibes, and adventurous travelers.

San Antonio was the only Texas city to be recognized in the 2025 list. Fort Worth previously earned this unique recognition in the 2024 report.

"These are places that feel of the moment, whether that’s because they offer unparalleled access to the outdoors, a cultural immersion you can’t find anywhere else, a pulse-quickening hit of excitement, or the sort of blissful luxury only a true five-star property can deliver," Travel + Leisure editors wrote.

San Antonio was lauded as a must-visit destination "For the Food and Drinks" by T+L. The Alamo City was specifically praised for being "on the cutting edge of culinary innovation" in part thanks to the 13 outstanding local restaurants that were recognized in the first-ever Texas Michelin Guide, and the numerous James-Beard Award-nominated local chefs and eateries.

"Elsewhere, chef and restaurateur Jason Dady will be opening Mexico Ceaty in early 2025, overhauling a food court to create a dining destination that highlights Mexican cuisine," T+L said.

Mexico Ceaty in San Antonio Mexico Ceaty will bring several concepts to the Shops at Rivercenter. Rendering courtesy of SA Partnerships

The report also gives a shoutout to the increasingly popular dining complex Pullman Market, which opened earlier in 2024.

"Our market highlights the difference and value of truly fresh and truly local," said CEO Kevin Fink in the report. "Whether it’s whole fresh fish from the Gulf of Mexico, Berkshire pigs from down the road, or butter from a herd of cows whose milk tastes of the Texas landscape."

When it comes to finding a place to stay in San Antonio, there is no shortage of comfortable and lavish accommodations. T+L names two recently opened hotels in its report: Kimpton Santo, a boutique hotel that repurposed 19th century schoolhouses, and the fully renovated InterContinental San Antonio RiverWalk.

Earlier this year, San Antonio won national acclaim in the publication's annual "World's Best" reader's choice awards, and was named the No. 6 best U.S. city in 2024.

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