Cleveland Earns Top Spot On 'Best Of The World 2018' List

CLEVELAND, OH -- National Geographic Traveler magazine revealed the "2018 Best of the World," its annual list of the 21 must-see destinations to visit in the year ahead. Traveler editors selected the top places to visit based on three categories: Cities, Culture and Nature, and the city of Cleveland earned the No. 1 spot on the Culture list. The results are in the December/January 2018 issue of Traveler magazine, and online at NatGeoTravel.com/BestTrips2018.

According to National Geographic Traveling magazine editors, it's important to visit Cleveland soon because the city is remaking itself as a reviving industrial town. The magazine's Web site reads: "Cleveland rocks: on stage in the eight theaters on Playhouse Square, at indie-music venue Beachland Ballroom, and in hip meat-lovers’ restaurants like the Black Pig and The Plum. Shop and stroll in the revived Hingetown neighborhood and Waterloo Arts District."

"The No. 1 question we get from our 9.6 million readers is, 'Where should I go next?' Our Best of the World list responds to that question with 21 timely destinations that make for a year of transformative travels," said George Stone, National Geographic Traveler editor in chief.

"With 15 international editions, National Geographic Traveler has a global team of writers, photographers and travel experts who helped build our list and report on these stellar places. We looked for cities that bustle with new energy and intrigue; parklands that percolate with vitality and ecological protection; and communities rich in local character that offer opportunities for cultural engagement. Packed with surprise, humor and relevance, our list advances our National Geographic mission to explore, conserve and share unforgettable stories about the best of our world."

The 2018 Best of the World destinations are:

CITIES

Dublin, Ireland
Malmö, Sweden
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
San Antonio, Texas
Santiago, Chile
Sydney, Australia
Tbilisi, Georgia

CULTURE

Cleveland
Friesland, Netherlands
Harar, Ethiopia
Labrador, Canada
Oaxaca, Mexico
Tétouan, Morocco
Vienna, Austria

NATURE

Albania
Jordan Trail, Jordan
Jujuy Province, Argentina
Madagascar
Oahu, Hawaii
Ruaha NP, Tanzania
Seoraksan National Park, South Korea

Traveler magazine's online digital hub includes an immersive visual experience along with an overview of the top highlights of each place on the list. Visitors can also dive deeper into three of the Best of the World destinations – Dublin, Oaxaca and Oahu, through a selection of feature stories from the issue.

To learn more about each destination, visit: NatGeoTravel.com/BestTrips2018