The Windy City, as Chicago is called, has been named the Best Big City in the United States in a survey conducted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Chicago wins the honour for the sixth consecutive time, primarly for the diversity of its offer for tourists – be it for MICE, leisure or culture.

In rare honour for a destination, Chicago has been named the Best Big City in the United States for the sixth consecutive year. The honour has been bestowed upon the city on the banks of Lake Michigan by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in a survey.

Announcing the win, Lynn Osmond, President and CEO of Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism board, said that the city retained its title in the 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards of Condé Nast.

Osmon said that the award was a testament to Chicago’s enduring status as an exciting, welcoming and world-class travel destination. Incidentally, the award has come just as Choose Chicago releases tourism data that shows that the summer of 2022 was fast approaching the 2019 peak levels, in both leisure and business travel segments.

“There are so many reasons why Chicago is the Best Big City in the US. We have world-class restaurants, top-tier hotels and meeting spaces, cultural institutions and entertainment venues that can rival the best in the world and vibrant, diverse neighbourhoods that make sure there is something for every visitor,” said Chicago’s Mayor Lori E Lightfoot.

“Most importantly, our city is full of people and organisations that care deeply and work tirelessly to make Chicago the most welcoming and inviting city in the world. I want to thank the tourism and hospitality professionals that make this award possible year after year and the millions of visitors that keep coming back to Chicago to explore everything our city has to offer,” she added.

“Condé Nast readers know what Chicagoans have always known…our city is the best in the nation,” said Illinois Governor J B Pritzker. “Chicago has everything: picturesque lakefronts, extraordinary architecture, world-class museums, the kindest people you’ll ever meet—and yes, the best pizza, too. Here’s to six years strong and many more to come,” he added.

Each year, Condé Nast Traveler garners input on travel experiences from hundreds of thousands of readers to determine the winners of its Readers’ Choice Awards, which is the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. This year, over 240,000 readers weighed in on their favourite American cities and Chicago bagged the historic title as no other city has been voted Best Big City in the US more than three straight times in the 35-year history of the awards.

“It is an incredible honour to once again be voted the Best Big City in the US,” said Osmond. “This recognition does not happen by accident – it is a testament to the hard-working people that make Chicago an inviting and welcoming city. Winning this award for six straight years combined with the successful summer of travel we just wrapped up make it clear that the past, present and future of tourism in Chicago is a bright one,” she added.

“I want to thank our partners in the hospitality and tourism industry for ensuring Chicago is a world-class destination and for making this award possible,” she said, adding, “I also want to thank all Chicago residents for creating such a friendly and hospitable city for tens of millions of visitors each year. Finally, I want to thank the readers of Condé Nast Traveler for choosing Chicago year after year and for recognising all the amazing attributes of our city that is second to none.”

In the summer just gone by, Chicago saw tourism roar back close to the pre-pandemic levels as the city welcomed visitors in droves, with hotel room demand approaching, and in one segment exceeding, pre-pandemic levels. Total hotel room demand during the summer months (June, July and August) exceeded 3 million room nights, which is nearly 90 pc of summer 2019 levels. Summer 2022 group hotel room demand, which represents rooms occupied specifically by delegates of large meetings and conventions, exceeded summer 2019 levels, with 1.06 million hotel room nights in summer 2022 compared to 1.03 million in summer 2019, says a press statement by Choose Chicago.

Chicago’s successful summer of travel followed the launch of the new When You Go You Know campaign in June. This campaign along with Choose Chicago’s summer messaging that started earlier generated more than USD 150 million in hotel revenue between April 18 and September 5, says the press release.