Philadelphia, PA – Today, Lonely Planet ranked Philadelphia #1 on its 2016 list of “10 Best Places to Visit in the United States.”  In addition to being the country’s first and only World Heritage City, Philadelphia was also recognized for its craft beer and dining scene, and for hosting global events, including the World Meeting of Families and the upcoming Democratic National Convention in July 2016.

“This is an exciting and well deserved honor for the people of Philadelphia,” said Mayor Jim Kenney.  “Our city is unique, fun and appealing to a broad range of tourists and visitors, while at the same time providing a homegrown sense of culture that many of us lifelong Philadelphians cherish.”

“Best in the U.S.” is a handpicked list selected and ranked by the company’s U.S.-based editors and travel writers. The list calls attention to the most exciting, intriguing and up-and-coming U.S. destinations worth visiting in the year ahead.  The list is currently in its 6^th year of publication.

“The Lonely Planets’ ranking is welcome news today following three years’ collaboration from a team representing City agencies and the Global Philadelphia Association working to obtain World Heritage City recognition for Philadelphia.  It is gratifying to see the results of this work getting recognized by world-renowned publications,” says John F. Smith, III, Board Chair for the Global Philadelphia Association.

“We’re proud that Philadelphia took the top spot on such an impressive list of places,” adds Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA®. “We love that the article encourages visitors to go beyond the clichés and explore the city’s deep history, raved-about food and evolving neighborhoods.”

Lonely Planet is a global travel publisher, printing over 120 million books in eleven different languages. Along with guidebooks and eBooks to almost every destination on the planet, Lonely Planet also produces a range of gift and reference titles, an award-winning website and magazine and a range of digital travel products and apps.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is the region’s destination marketing organization.  Check out visitphilly.com and the blog uwishunu.com to explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. 

 The Global Philadelphia Association was founded in 2010 by nine of the leading international organizations in the Greater Philadelphia Region.  It is a member-governed Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation to assist and encourage greater interaction among organizations and people who are engaged in international activity within the region, to promote the development of an international consciousness within the region and to enhance the Region’s global profile. Today, over 150 organizations, businesses, and internationally-minded individuals have become joint venturers in the Global Philadelphia initiative, and more are joining each month. More info at globalphiladelphia.org.