Chattanooga named one of best places to travel worldwide in 2023
Scenic City included in Forbes list of 50 Global Destinations; Chattanooga Tourism Co. expects more visitors
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — There is excitement across Chattanooga as the city was recently named one of the top places to travel in the world for 2023 by Forbes.
The scenic city was featured alongside Botswana, Spain and the Canary Islands, among others.
The staff of the Chattanooga Tourism Company are beyond thrilled to be included in Forbes’ selective list, which reaches more than 140 million people worldwide.
Tourism Company chief executive Hugh Morrow says the city’s hospitality “couldn’t be more excited”.
He says Chattanooga is poised to welcome even more tourists in the years to come, in part due to the release.
“I think we can grow what we’re doing,” Morrow said. “We’ve been doing this for the last 10 to 12 years anyway, so it just gives us another tool to move forward and help people make the decision to visit Chattanooga.”
Morrow also credited “old attractions” like Rock City and Ruby Falls as key to ensuring return trips to the scenic town.
He also says the “resilience” of travelers who come to visit during difficult times has kept the city’s hospitality growing.
“People are still traveling through the COVID years and everything else — they want to be on the road,” Morrow said. “So it’s moving forward and upwards, and I think the sky’s the limit as to what we can do to bring people to our amazing city.”
Chattanooga’s Senior Advisor for Communications, Kirsten Yates, says the Forbes revelation is not just a reflection on the city’s tourism, but also on its residents.
While she says nature’s natural beauty draws tourists, she says it’s the Chattanoogans that make visitors feel at home.
“We have an incredibly strong community spirit of generosity and kindness,” Yates said. “We have a rich, diverse culture here. So there really is something for everyone and together it makes an incredible package for both visitors and residents.”
Chattanooga Tourism says the Forbes article “encourages readers to explore Chattanooga’s outdoor activities, attractions, public art and more.”
Aside from being one of 50 places to visit worldwide, perhaps even more exclusive is that it was one of only 11 domestic places to also make the list.
