TUCSON, Ariz. — Tucson is hitting a new high, joining the ranks of the BBC's top 25 places to travel to around the world. You can read about the distinction here.
While the secret is out that Tucson is amazing, we set out to see why Tucson made the list, and to prove that we deserve to be there.
Looking through the other places on the list, you'll see photos of the water falls in Sri Lanka, the Blue Pearl in Morocco, and the northern lights shining over Greenland... and then there's Tucson. What do they all have in common? All of these amazing places to visit put a special focus on sustainable tourism, that supports the community and preserves its cultural heritage.
Cindy Aguilar, the senior communications director from Visit Tucson, says we do that pretty well here.
"We want to leave no trace behind. It's really important to take care of what we have," she explained. "It's just really important, not only as locals, but making sure that visitors are educated about how special and unique Tucson is, and we want to make sure that they're taking care of it."
Tucson's accolades point to the history of the San Xavier Del Bac Mission, the tradition of Mexican music and dancing at Presidio San Agustin del Tucson, and the beautiful hiking trails.
We headed over to Sabino Canyon, and no surprise, met a whole family visiting from New York and Washington state, just because they love it here.
"We love Tucson because of the food scene, the outdoors, less traffic," said Sherri Robinson.
"It's so nice, there are so many hiking trails, so many fun things to do," echoed Jenni Majumdar.
"I love it," said Beth Ross. "The weather is amazing, we just flew in from New York so we love having a little getaway in the winter."
Tucson is also being recognized for its food, celebrating ten years of being a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and our heirloom farmers markets.
"We have mission garden," added Aguilar, "which is the oldest continually cultivated land in North America. Food has been grown there for over 4,000 years, and so I think that's a great testament as to our sustainability efforts."
Tyler Fenton, a Tucson native and local, who's also the owner and head chef at BATA, an official City of Gastronomy restaurant, says his food all about embracing what we have here.
"It's really a love letter to the city, utilizing heritage ingredients like white Sonoran wheat and tepary beans, and wild foods like prickly pear," Fenton said. "We're not tied to any one cuisine. It's what's the best thing we can do with this ingredient to make something delicious and impactful, and special for our guests."
So the next time you get the itch to go on an epic vacation, don't forget to appreciate what's right here in your backyard.
"We're small but mighty, and we like it that way," Aguilar said. "We love who we are. We embrace our authenticity and who Tucson is. But it's time that people realize that, and get to experience it for themselves."
Claire Graham is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. She grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in musical theatre. Claire spent a decade in Washington state, where she worked in journalism, met her husband and welcomed their baby boy, before moving back home. Share your story ideas and important issues with Claire by emailing claire.graham@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and X.
