Travel

South Carolina city tops travel destination list for 11th year in a row

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Agencies): Travel buffs seem enthralled with one South Carolina city – so much so that it was recently named the best place to visit in the U.S. for the 11th time in a row.

Travel + Leisure named Charleston to the top of its list earlier in the month, a position it has held for the last decade based on reader opinions. Reaching 10 consecutive years earned the city a Travel + Leisure Hall of Fame spot a year earlier.

But despite Charleston being an old top entry on the list, it’s what’s new that the travel magazine believes has helped it to the top spot yet again.

The opening of the International African American Museum alongside the city’s ever-growing restaurant and hotel scene played a role in the recurrent honor. The announcement is full of restaurant listenings, with a particular highlight on Kultura, a Filipino restaurant by “Chopped” champion Nikko Cagalahan.

But it also pays homage to the draw that has long preceded its new growth – the city’s history. From Fort Sumter National Monument to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, the 2023 listing shows some of the city’s most well-known and long-lasting attractions are still among travelers’ favorites.