The Golden Isles of Georgia has polished its luster and ranks number one again, according to Travel + Leisure. The world-renowned travel publication has announced the results of its 2023 World’s Best Awards readers survey and the Golden Isles reclaimed the coveted number one spot in the Best Islands in the Continental U.S. category that it previously held in 2020. Every year, readers rank their favorite destinations, hotels, resorts, spas, airlines and more in the publication’s annual survey. Islands are rated according to “their activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness and overall value.” With over 18,000 islands in the U.S. and more than 900,000 in the world, this category is known to be highly competitive. For each of the past nine years, the Golden Isles has consistently placed as a top 10 contender for the World’s Best Islands.
“I am immensely proud of our CVB team and community; this accolade was certainly well-earned. This award recognizes the Golden Isles as a whole, allowing us to establish this beautiful area as a singular, united destination. This recognition truly belongs to our community, and especially our partners and workforce in the hospitality industry, our residents and all those who work tirelessly to keep this amazing place special.” said Scott McQuade, President and CEO of the Golden Isles Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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Tourism is the largest single industry in the Golden Isles, employing over 18,ooo individuals and contributing over $1.6 billion dollars to the local economy. For the past decade, the Golden Isles has experienced sustained growth in tourism, with the CVB reporting a record-breaking 2022 that saw the highest economic impact to date. That positive tourism impact equated to offsets resulting in an average savings of $2,504 in local and state taxes for each Glynn County household, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“Our partnership with Travel + Leisure has helped us obtain our goal of increasing our reach to travelers across the world while ensuring that this affluent travel audience not only contributes to our local economy but shares the same values that our residents hold dear. We are pleased to have expanded our eco-tourism, culinary and heritage tourism market segments through our marketing efforts with Travel + Leisure,” said Marcie Kicklighter, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications of the Golden Isles CVB.
For more information about the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, please visit travelandleisure.com/worldsbest.
