Detroit among top travel destinations for 2023, travel guide says
An online travel guide announced its picks for the top 50 travel recommendations for 2023, and Detroit made the top 10.
Travel Lemming picks its best destinations around the world each year. Detroit, no. 10 for 2023, was among 20 U.S. locations in the top 50, the guide calling it "one of the country's best-kept secrets."
Visit Detroit President and CEO Claude Molinari said the decision marks a positive step in growing Detroit's tourism industry.
"Visit Detroit proudly embraces our role in attracting millions of visitors every year, and now that Travel Lemming has named Detroit one of the best places to travel in 2023, we look forward to welcoming even more."
Travel Lemming attributes Detroit's appeal to its arts and culture scene and rich history. The guide pointed to Detroit's restaurants, craft breweries and cocktail bars as some of city's "best elements."
Detroit's restaurant scene has many cultural cuisine options from African to Mediterranean fare to the taquerias in Southwest Detroit. Restaurants in the downtown area include fine-dining places like the Highlands at the top of the Renaissance Center with sweeping views of Canada and the Detroit River.
One of the guide's recommended food items is Detroit-style pizza, known by metro Detroiters for decades. Detroit-style pizza is known for its thick crust and square or rectangular shape, with lacey caramelized cheese edges and sauce spooned on top. Longtime favorites in the area include Buddy's, Cloverleaf, Loui's Pizza and Shield's.
More:Foreigner announces farewell tour, including August show at Pine Knob
More:These metro Detroit restaurants offer takeout, dine-in dinners for Thanksgiving 2022
Detroit is known worldwide for its historic role in the auto industry, the Motown music scene and well-known sports teams. Recommended attractions include the Motown Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Eastern Market, the Detroit Riverfront and Belle Isle.
Eastern Market has been around more than 130 years and known as a spot on Saturday's year-round to shop for farm fresh produce, a variety of locally made food items and other vendors. Around the market there's also a variety of restaurants that have been around for decades.
Travel Lemming writer Brooke Horrobin said she enjoyed the appeal of the city, noting its charming character and residents.
"Out of all the cities I've visited, Detroit has a huge piece of my heart," Horrobin said. "It's not often you visit a big city outside of where you live that feels like home, and this is how I would sum up Detroit in a nutshell."
Travel Lemming advises May to October, or December, as ideal times to visit Detroit.
Travel Lemming's top location to visit for 2023 is Lafayette, Louisiana. The rest of the top five were Bhutan, a country in Southeast Asia; Utila, an island in the Caribbean nation of Honduras; Île Sainte-Marie, an island off Madagascar; and Kosovo, a country in Southeast Europe.
Free Press reporter Susan Selasky contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit among top travel destinations for 2023, travel guide says
