Chicago ranked top five in two separate annual travel industry publications

Chicagoans are not shy about touting their love for our amazing city, which is why it is no surprise that the Midwest metropolis continually scores well on lists of top U.S. cities.

In keeping with this trend, two leading travel and urban industry publications recently released their annual rankings, with Chicago scoring top five positions in both reports. Chicago received high marks from both Travel + Leisure, a leading tourism publication, and Resonance Co., a top strategy consulting firm, with both groups using industry data and in-depth methodology to calculate their prestigious rankings each year. 

Earlier this month, Travel + Leisure named Chicago as one of the top US destinations in its annual “World’s Best” awards. The Windy City secured fifth place in the rankings, placing behind only Santa Fe, New Mexico; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

The magazine proclaims Chicago as “the kind of town that's got a little something for everyone” and notes things like Lake Michigan, the city’s sports teams, the museum campus and the food scene as reasons that keep solidifying Chicago as one of the premier tourism destinations in the country.

This year marked the 31st annual release of the awards by the publication, which also includes rankings on the country’s top hotels, national parks, cruises and tours among other categories.

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In addition, Resonance Co., a consulting agency specializing in place strategy and urban development, released its annual list of best American cities, a comprehensive report that ranks U.S. metropolitan hubs based on a three-pronged methodology of liveability, prosperity, and loveability.

Chicago placed third on the list behind only New York and Los Angeles. The report notes Chicago as a “stealthy economic powerhouse” that remains one of the country's main pass-through hubs for everything from people to freight and capital.

The firm uses a wide variety of metrics to analyze and compile its rankings. Livability assesses factors such as a city's weather patterns, public transportation, and available green space; prosperity looks at things like a city's economic output, education system, and job market; while loveability quantifies a place's vibrancy by analyzing everything from restaurants and entertainment to shopping and social media exposure.

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The publication mentions several city assets such as O'Hare Airport, McCormick Place Convention Center, and the Theatre District as a few of the key driving factors that have helped the city continue to stand out both economically and culturally.

Resonance Co. also released annual rankings on the top cities in Europe, Asia, and across the world. In their global report, Chicago came in at the 35th position, with London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Madrid securing the top five spots.