Alexandria ranks third once again among small cities on Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Cities in the United States list, behind Charleston, South Carolina, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Last year, Condé Nast Traveler ranked the NoVA city third, and it’s been in the top five for seven straight years since the publication added the small cities category in its Readers’ Choice Awards survey in 2018. Alexandria also showed up in the No. 3 spot in 2021 and 2019.
The list put Washington, DC, at No. 5 among its top 10 large U.S. city destinations.
Here’s what Condé Nast Traveler wrote about Alexandria:
“Washingtonians are all in on the secret, but it’s no surprise the rest of the world is catching up: Alexandria, Virginia, the charming, historic city just across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital, draws travelers and would-be residents alike. Most folks start to imagine moving there immediately after setting foot in Old Town, once they’ve strolled the red-brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries. When you visit, scope out King Street, packed with boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops; then land at the waterfront, where you can watch the boats bobbing on the water before touring the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a collective of galleries and artists’ studios. End the day at Gadsby’s Tavern, where some of our founding fathers used to drink — don’t mind the actors in colonial garb.”
Rebecca Doser, spokeswoman for Visit Alexandria, the city’s tourism arm, said the recognition by the prestigious publication “helped boost our city’s visibility to an entirely new level.”
Tourism Spending Hits $941 Million
News of the city’s rankings follows word that spending by travelers to Alexandria grew to a record $941 million in 2023, a 17.6 percent increase over the previous year.
The city took in a record $86 million in sales, meals, and lodging taxes. More than two-thirds of that tax revenue came from visitors. Visit Alexandria said the biggest gain occurred in lodging, with $15 million in tax revenues collected, a $3 million increase.
Look for the city to capitalize on upcoming events to draw more tourists.
“A presidential inauguration in January offers its quadrennial opportunity to drive incremental revenues in an identified priority period,” said Alexandria’s 2024 Annual Report, released at the end of September. “May 23 to June 8, the Washington, DC metro area will host WorldPride, a global-level event forecast to attract 3 million participants over two weeks. This will also be the year that we work with local, regional and statewide partners to plan for the nation’s 250th birthday, which will take place in 2026.”
Feature image of King Street in Old Town Alexandria by Chris Cruz/Visit Alexandria
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