Kansas City: One of World’s Top Destinations for 2012
National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial
Jefferson City, Mo. – Kansas City, Missouri, is well known for its vibrant artistic and performing arts scenes, award-winning barbecue, world-class museums, and jazz music. As of today, Kansas City is officially known as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
Frommer’s Travel, one of the most well-known and respected names in the global travel and tourism industry, has announced Kansas City is one of its Top Destinations for 2012. Kansas City, the only city in the United States to make the coveted Top 10 List, joins other top 10 list members, including sites ranging from the Greenwich area of London, to Fukuoka, Japan.
“Kansas City has come into its own over the last decade with a number of major new attractions and cultural offerings,” says Alan Carr, vice president of marketing/communications for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association. “We’re thrilled the secret is finally out, and the rest of the world is catching on to what locals and Missourians have known for years.”
Adds Missouri Division of Tourism Director Katie Steele Danner: “Because of this prestigious inclusion, the world will get to know the rich culture, the natural beauty, and the hospitality that make Kansas City a top destination for travelers from around the globe.”
Arthur Bryant's Barbecue
The Frommers.com article on Kansas City highlights several attractions, including the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the National World War I Museum, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, along with two legendary barbecue restaurants, Arthur Bryant’s and Gates. The honor comes just days after Travel + Leisure magazine named Kansas City “America’s Most Affordable Getaway,” and lauded the city for having the best barbecue in the United States.
Jason Clampet, the senior online editor for Frommers.com, said Kansas City has been on the collective radar of the Frommer’s selection committee for some time.
Kansas City Power & Light District
“A lot of us have been fans of Kansas City for a while,” says Clampet, who grew up in Illinois, went to college at Truman State University in Kirksville, and has traveled to Kansas City many times. “I think the addition of the Kauffman Center helped push Kansas City (onto the list).”
And, being named one of the Top Destinations for 2012 should keep Kansas City top of mind for visitors to Frommers.com year-round.
“We do this list every year, and every year it gets more popular” adds Clampet. “It’s the most popular feature on the website all year; it brings in a ton of traffic.”
The annual Top Destinations list is compiled by Frommer’s editors, authors and travel experts from around the world. Frommer’s website says the selection process is difficult, noting (with tongue planted firmly in cheek) the final announcement is the culmination of “months of bickering amongst ourselves.”
“Each year our authors and editors put their heads together to find those places that inspire our readers to see the world anew,” says David A. Lytle, editorial director of Frommers.com. “However you choose to travel, you’ll find smart suggestions and a few surprises in our annual Top Destinations list.”
Frommer’s Top Destinations for 2012 are:
- Curacao, Venezuela
- Chongqing, China
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Beirut, Lebanon
- The Republic of Ghana
- London, England’s Greenwich
- Girona, Spain
- Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
To learn more about what makes Kansas City a Top 10 destination, explore the variety of Kansas City attractions found on VisitMO.com.
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The Missouri Division of Tourism (MDT) is the official tourism office for the state of Missouri dedicated to marketing Missouri as a premier travel destination. Established in 1967, the Missouri Division of Tourism has worked hard to develop the tourism industry in Missouri to what it is today, an $11.4 billion industry supporting more than 281,000 jobs and generating $900 million in state and local taxes in Fiscal Year 2010. For every dollar spent on marketing Missouri as a travel destination in FY10, $53 was returned in visitor expenditures.
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For more information, please contact:
Stephen Foutes at Stephen.Foutes@ded.mo.gov, 573-751-3208, or Stephanie Lynch at SLynch@HoffmanLewis.com, 314-454-3454.
