Conde Nast 2007 :World's Favorite Cities for International Tourism

[coldwine]

I'm very surprised that Chicago was anywhere near as high as it is. We have a ton of international business, but I wasn't aware so many actually vacationed here. And ahead of Tokyo? Honolulu?

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by coldwine

I'm very surprised that Chicago was anywhere near as high as it is. We have a ton of international business, but I wasn't aware so many actually vacationed here. And ahead of Tokyo? Honolulu?

Um, I forget how many 10s of millions of people visit Chicago every year, but yes, its definitely a major tourist attraction.

[downtown1]

Its all about the perceptions when people visit your city.

Los Angeles is one fine example of that. It did not make the list because the city does not have a good reputation with international tourists, as well as domestic visitors.

Originally Posted by coldwine

I'm very surprised that Chicago was anywhere near as high as it is. We have a ton of international business, but I wasn't aware so many actually vacationed here. And ahead of Tokyo? Honolulu?

[recycled]

Originally Posted by downtown1

Its all about the perceptions when people visit your city.
Los Angeles is one fine example of that. It did not make the list because the city does not have a good reputation with international tourists, as well as domestic visitors.

DT, very true. I live about an hour south of downtown LA, and considering it is the second largest city in the USA the LA central city area cannot be considered even close to the attractions of the central city areas of NYC, Chicago or DC. Yes, there are still a hundreds of buildings from Art Deco 1920s boom years downtown, but there are not a lot attractions that bring people into the downtown area who live nearby or far away (not counting employment reasons).

[recycled]

Originally Posted by nanannie

I am very surprised that Santa Fe and Charleston are so high up the list for international travelers

I was surprised Charleston would finish ahead of Paris or London, it's my favorite city in the southeastern USA. Santa Fe, not surprised it's high on the list. Ever done a tour of the national parks of the southwest? You will hear more people speaking German, Japanese, French or almost any other language beside English. This part of the USA is where you will encounter more non-US visitors almost anywhere else in our country. It seems that way, because the local population is relatively small and it seems that foreign visitors outnumber the locals. Santa Fe is a main stop on the the grand tour through the southwest for foreign visitors that includes Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Mesa Verde. They all love the red rocks, big sky views, mountains and Native American culture that is portrayed in so many films. It is an area so vastly different from their homelands, especially for people from the high density population zones of Europe and Asia. They never have experienced driving along a road for two or three hours and seen almost no sign of human habitation or development.