Santa Barbara Wins 2018 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award

Destination ranked a “Best Small City” in the U.S.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Natalie Bovee, Communications Manager
Visit Santa Barbara
(805) 966-9222, ext. 107 or [email protected]

Karna Hughes, Director of Communications
Visit Santa Barbara
(805) 966-9222, ext. 112 or [email protected]

Santa Barbara, Calif. (October 10, 2018) —Santa Barbara has been recognized as one of the nation’s “Best Small Cities in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. Santa Barbara first appeared on the list in 2015. The destination, which welcomes more than 7.2 million total visitors per year, is one of 15 winners ranked in the category among other top reader favorites. More than 400,000 readers took part in the annual survey casting hundreds of thousands of votes, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Several Santa Barbara South Coast hotels were named as winners under the survey’s “Top Hotels in Southern California” category, including Hotel Californian, Belmond El Encanto and Kimpton Canary Hotel. In addition, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara and The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara won under the category of “Top Resorts in Southern California.”

“We’re thrilled to be named a top U.S. destination by Condé Nast Traveler readers and proud to see so many Santa Barbara South Coast hotels and resorts recognized,” said Visit Santa Barbara President/CEO Kathy Janega-Dykes. “Santa Barbara has a way of making travelers feel like they’re in a little pocket of paradise when here. The natural beauty, diversity of activities and attractions, vibrant restaurants and world-class wine country offer visitors an unparalleled quintessential California experience.”

Santa Barbara, along with all the winners of the 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards, are featured in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler and on CNTraveler.com, which together reach 5.4 million readers per month. A full list of winners can be found online at www.cntraveler.com/rca.

ABOUT VISIT SANTA BARBARA
Visit Santa Barbara is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization jointly funded by the City of Santa Barbara, the County of Santa Barbara, the South Coast Tourism Business Improvement District and by a membership of hospitality-related busi¬nesses. The primary mission of Visit Santa Barbara is to enhance the economies of the City of Santa Barbara, South Coast communities and Santa Barbara County areas through tourism marketing that increases business revenue, tax revenue and creates jobs. Annual spending by travelers to the South Coast totals more than $1.9 billion, supporting more than 13,000 jobs and generating more than $56 million in yearly tax revenues, according to Destination Analysts, an independent tourism market research firm.

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FOR MEDIA ONLY

PHOTOS
High-res photos available at: https://www.barberstock.com/collection/santabarbara/cnt-readers-choice-awards-2018 (Please note photo credits listed in the files.)
Contact [email protected] for additional images.

INTERVIEWS
Visit Santa Barbara President/CEO Kathy Janega-Dykes is available for interviews. Contact Natalie Bovee to schedule one at [email protected]