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CHICAGO — The qualities of the “Windy City” have earned it a prestigious honor for a seventh straight year.
Condé Nast Traveler has once again named Chicago as the best big city in the United States in the well-known magazine’s Readers Choice Awards. It’s an honor the city has earned every year since 2017. The 2023 results being based on the votes of 520,000 readers.
“Today’s recognition of our great city as the Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Big City in The U.S., for the seventh year in a row, is proof that Chicago continues to be a force as a destination for visitors from all over the globe,” said Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement. “We have something for everyone — 77 amazing communities, beautiful parks and lakefront, world class arts, culture and food, and much more.
“This is a distinction to be proud of, and we will continue to welcome travelers from all over the world to experience all our city has to offer and the soul of Chicago.”
Chicago finished in the top spot with San Diego coming in second, Milwaukee third, New Orleans fourth, and San Francisco fifth. Boston, New York City, Nashville, Washington D.C., and Miami rounded out the Top Ten in the best big city category.
Along with the announcement of the honor, Choose Chicago announced that summer tourism in the city in 2023 had a record hotel revenue of $825 million and hotel taxes of $46 million. Leisure hotel room demand increased by eight percent from 2022 while international visits were also up by 13 percent from a year ago.
“More than half a million people cast votes for this year’s Reader’s Choice Awards,” said Choose Chicago board of directors chairman Glenn Eden in a statement. “Clearly, those who come here are having uniquely memorable experiences that stick with them – the kind of experiences that will make them return to Chicago and recommend our city as a vacation destination to their friends and families.
“Winning this award seven straight years is a recognition of the resilience of Chicago’s tourism and hospitality sector and the unwavering affinity that travelers have for our city. It gives me confidence that we are going to see continued growth in our local visitor economy for years to come.”
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