Travel Tip

Texas city tops Travel + Leisure's best places to travel in 2025 list

Travel + Leisure spoke highly of San Antonio's new and popular Pullman Market.

Photo by Robert Lerma

One group of proud Texans can now say they live in a destination city. Nationally recognized magazine Travel + Leisure has declared San Antonio one of the best places to travel in 2025.

The publication's annual "Where to Go" list reviews nearly 120 notable places around the globe and chooses only 50 for its collection of best destinations. Winners are then categorized into one of seven categories: cultural immersion, nature lovers, big-city thrills, moments on the water, food and drinks, beach vibes, and adventurous travelers.

"These are places that feel of the moment, whether that’s because they offer unparalleled access to the outdoors, a cultural immersion you can’t find anywhere else, a pulse-quickening hit of excitement, or the sort of blissful luxury only a true five-star property can deliver," Travel + Leisure editors wrote.

San Antonio was lauded as a must-visit destination for 2025 "For the Food and Drinks" by T+L. The Alamo City was specifically praised for being "on the cutting edge of culinary innovation" in part thanks to the 13 outstanding local restaurants that were recognized in the first-ever Texas Michelin Guide, and the numerous James-Beard Award-nominated local chefs and eateries.

"Elsewhere, chef and restaurateur Jason Dady will be opening Mexico Ceaty in early 2025, overhauling a food court to create a dining destination that highlights Mexican cuisine," T+L said.

Mexico Ceaty will bring several concepts to the Shops at Rivercenter. Rendering courtesy of SA Partnerships

The report also gives a shoutout to the increasingly popular dining complex Pullman Market, which opened earlier in 2024.

"Our market highlights the difference and value of truly fresh and truly local," said CEO Kevin Fink in the report. "Whether it’s whole fresh fish from the Gulf of Mexico, Berkshire pigs from down the road, or butter from a herd of cows whose milk tastes of the Texas landscape."

When it comes to finding a place to stay in San Antonio, there is no shortage of comfortable and lavish accommodations. T+L names two recently opened hotels in its report: Kimpton Santo, a boutique hotel that repurposed 19th century schoolhouses, and the fully renovated InterContinental San Antonio RiverWalk.

San Antonio was the only Texas city to be recognized in Travel + Leisure's "Where to Go" list for 2025. Fort Worth previously earned this unique recognition in the 2024 report. Earlier this year, San Antonio won national acclaim in the publication's annual "World's Best" reader's choice awards, and was named the No. 6 best U.S. city in 2024.

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see historic natchez

New direct flight connects Houston with Southern tourist favorite

Photo by Mike Chapman

United has begun new non-stop flights to Natchez, MS.

United Airlines has announced the first direct flight to Natchez, Mississippi from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in three decades, offering quick trips to one of the fasted growing tourist destinations in the Magnolia State. The flights started July 1.

“With daily flights now operating, Natchez is more accessible than ever to visitors, and our residents have a convenient connection to destinations across the country and beyond,” said Lance Harris, executive director of Visit Natchez. “As we head into one of our busiest event seasons, we encourage travelers to take advantage of the new service and plan a fall trip to Natchez.”

Why Natchez?

While it might not be the first name that comes to mind when choosing a vacation spot, Natchez has been

growing in popularity. According to Visit Natchez, 2025 was a record year for tourism in the city, with hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Popular attractions include touring the many antebellum houses as well as historical cemeteries; the Forks of the Road slave market museum site, and the annual October Balloon Festival. The city boasts stunning river views along hiking trails as well as first class restaurants. For those who may have skipped Houston's rescheduled Pride Parade thanks to the August heat, Natchez also has a Y'all Means All Festival the weekend before Halloween.

The Flights

Daily flights out of Bush will be on a 50-passenger CRJ-200 aircraft with a flight time of just 45 minutes. Round-trip prices start at only $192, making it a fairly cheap and quick trip for a weekend getaway. Flights will land in the new Natchez-Adams County Airport passenger terminal, which streamlines the wait times for a more seamless visit.

Natchez has been investing heavily in tourism lately, making it one of the city's biggest industries. It received a $24.5 million grant in 2024 from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the promotion of sites related to African-American history. The grant is set to improve signage, lighting, and other aspects of the area between Devereaux Drive and St. Catherine Street through downtown Natchez to the sites overlooking the Mississippi River, dubbed the Forks to Freedom Corridor.

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