Charleston has been ranked by Travel + Leisure readers as the top city for an even dozen years.

This month, the publication’s editor-in-chief and the CEO of its publisher came to town to check it out for themselves. On June 4, they shared their thoughts about the area’s growing tourism reputation in front of 450 industry leaders at Explore Charleston‘s annual meeting.

Neil Vogul, CEO of the company Dotdash Meredith, and Jacqui Gifford of T + L also discussed what trends they see driving the travel business. 

Gifford said the fear of missing out (a.k.a. FOMO) has been a key factor since the pandemic. She said her publication’s coverage of destinations like Charleston are heavily influenced by what readers want to know so that they can envision their experience during their stays.

Vogul added that most travelers take one or two trips per year and that most decisions are usually thoroughly researched in advance. That’s where Charleston is seeing a benefit, thanks in part to the rankings and upbeat publicity it tends to get from publications like T + L, Conde Nast Traveler and Southern Living.

They also spoke to how so-called influencers play more of a role — a trend that’s becoming more commonplace across travel marketing and  publications.

Dotdash Meredith owns 40 media brands, including People, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, Southern Living and Investopedia. It’s also behind the Food & Wine Classic Charleston, an offshoot of a long-running Aspen festival that will be returning for its second annual Lowcountry go-around Nov. 14-16.

“There’s a thriving food scene. There’s amazing hotels … There’s an incredible cultural history of the city, the region and the state,” Vogul said. “People love this place, and it made it very easy for us to come here and invest here.”

At its annual meeting, Explore Charleston also set goals for the year to “double down on hospitality” and reinforce the importance of focusing on what sets the region apart from other destinations in an increasingly competitive global industry.

Dan Blumenstock, chairman of the tourism marketing bureau’s board and director of Lowcountry Hotels, said T + L readers select Charleston as a top destination “for a reason.”

“Hospitality is a lot more than a keyword to identify our industry … it builds community … it provides that home away from home to our visitors,” he said.

Seven industry officials, including Blumenstock, also were recognized at Charleston’s annual Golden Pineapple Awards, which have been handed out since the creation of Explore Charleston’s predecessor 40 years ago.

The other recipients were: Isle of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds; William Howle, for a decade of leadership with the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau; restaurateurs Jonathan Kish and Keith Benjamin of the Responsible Hospitality Reform Alliance; Frank Fredericks, the hospitality and tourism management executive-in-residence at the College of Charleston; and Spencer Pryor, deputy executive airport director at the Charleston Regional Aviation Authority.

National standing

The International African American Museum is now recognized by the National Park Service as a U.S. site that broadens visitors’ understanding of the tumultuous years following the Civil War.

IAAM was added to the federal agency’s Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, which highlights places throughout the country that provide education, interpretation and research related to the period from 1861 to 1900.

The waterfront museum, which marks its second anniversary this month with events through June 21, is among more than 100 sites and programs on the list.

Want a freebie?

Cypress Gardens is offering free admission to Berkeley County residents on June 14.

Youngsters can try out a new splash pad from 9 a.m-4:45 p.m. that day. The attraction was unveiled May 31 in the Moncks Corner park at 3030 Cypress Gardens Road. Last admission is at 4 p.m. daily.