From the perennially popular Strip to its resurgent downtown, there’s always something new in Las Vegas, including hotels, restaurants and larger-than-life shows. And while its “What Happens in Vegas” campaign is still going strong, in recent years Sin City has diversified beyond its iconic call to indulgence, with a thriving spa industry, revamped menus and other initiatives offering healthy options amid its famed excess.
Known for its Cuban salsa rhythms, that white-sand strip called South Beach and still the cruise ship capital of America, Miami’s tourist industry seems to know no direction but up. Trendy nightclubs and restaurants draw an A-list crowd, while families enjoy the city’s kid-friendly attractions like Jungle Island and its proximity to the Everglades.
Famous for Bourbon Street and the French Quarter and for being home to the annual Mardi Gras, the birthplace of jazz has enjoyed a rebirth since Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the city in 2005. Last year, the city attracted 9.5 million visitors, who spent a record $6.81 billion as they experienced the city’s French Creole cuisine and architecture, ubiquitous music and world-class museums. The city is slated to open a $650 million airport terminal in 2018 and plans to expand its convention center with a hotel and entertainment district.
New York lures millions of visitors to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty as well as world-class shopping, restaurants and musicals on Broadway. According to NYC & Company, the city’s tourism marketing arm, this year New York is on track to attract a record 58.3 million visitors, who will find 8,000 new hotel rooms among its nearly 114,000-room inventory.
Orlando welcomed 62 million visitors last year, the fifth consecutive record-setting year for the city. Orlando is home to multiple theme parks, notably Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Multiple accommodations of all types and prices are offered in Orlando and its suburbs as well as at the parks themselves.
San Francisco continues to charm and enchant with attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Chinatown and the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Diverse and progressive, the city is popular with visitors of all stripes, particularly gay and lesbian travelers.