tourism news

Dallas flies into top 10 on new list of best summer travel destinations

Here come the tourists.

Not even triple-digit heat will deter tourists from visiting Dallas this summer, a new survey from WalletHub has confirmed. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro has climbed into the No. 10 spot on the personal finance website's list of the "Best Summer Travel Destinations" in 2025.

The report annually ranks 100 U.S metros based on attractions, safety, activities, weather, local costs, and travel costs and hassles. Factors that determine each city's ranking include flight costs, the number of affordable restaurants with high ratings, crime rates, and more.

The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area in Florida is the No. 1 most sought after summer travel destination this year.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has made a huge leap from its former No. 29 rank last year, and it ranked No. 45 in 2023.

Here's how WalletHub broke down Dallas' ranking in each of the six main categories:

No. 13 – Local costs rank
No. 21 – Attractions rank
No. 29 – Activities rank
No. 41 – Weather rank
No. 43 – Safety rank
No. 50 – Travel costs and hassles rank

Dallas ranked the highest in the local costs category, proving that the city's affordability is a major benefit for visitors as well as locals. There's surely no shortage of things to do in the city, from dining at highly acclaimed steakhouses or checking out fun plays and musicals.

But there's so much more that goes into choosing the right place for a memorable summer trip, says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. Creating and sticking to a vacation budget that considers all costs of a trip, such as meals and local transportation costs, is a good place to start.

"[C]hoosing a destination that’s not only entertaining but also affordable is important when travel, dining and activity costs have surged so much in recent years," Lupo says. "It can also allow you to have a longer, more relaxing trip."

The study's scope isn't just limited to just Dallas proper, which also means tourists may flock to popular suburbs like Plano to explore its shopping opportunities, or visit a quirky new toy store in Lewisville. It also includes Arlington, home of the new National Medal of Honor Museum.

Other top Texas summer travel destinations
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 5) was the only other Texas metro to earn a spot in the top 10 summer travel destinations, while San Antonio-New Braunfels ranked 18th.

Surprisingly, El Paso (No. 31) ranked four spots ahead of Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 35). The final two Texas metros that earned spots in the study are Corpus Christi (No. 80) and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 97).

The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
No. 2 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
No. 3 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
No. 4 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
No. 5 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
No. 6 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
No. 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 8 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
No. 9 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

wallethub rankings summer vacation travel dallas fort worth arlington

Airport News

DFW Airport seeks local restaurants to fill 14 new open slots

Manning

DFW Airport restaurants

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is seeking new restaurants who want to open a location on the premises. According to a release, the airport has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), inviting local brands and flavors to apply for 14 retail and dining locations across multiple terminals.

“As we build new gates, reimagine existing spaces and construct a new Terminal F, DFW Airport is committed to showcasing our region through our shops and restaurants so that when people travel through our terminals, there’s no denying they have arrived in the heart of Dallas and Fort Worth,” says DFW Chief Revenue Officer Ken Buchanan in a statement. “DFW serves tens of millions of travelers each year, and this is a chance for local businesses to help create an incredible sense of place within our terminals.”

The RFP is open for submissions now through February 2, 2026, and includes 11 food and beverage opportunities and three specialty retail locations across Terminals A, B, E, and F.

Concepts range from fast-casual, fast-food, and grab-and-go concepts to frozen treats, popcorn, cosmetics, and specialty retail.

All proposal submissions must be made through the Bonfire Procurement Platform.

DFW welcomed approximately 87 million customers in 2024, with continued growth projected to surpass 100 million passengers per year before 2030.

The latest RFP opportunity comes as DFW continues to make progress on its $12 billion capital improvement plan, DFW Forward, which is transforming terminals, expanding gate capacity and enhancing the customer experience across the entire airport. In addition to the new Terminal F, DFW is rebuilding Terminal C and expanding gate areas in Terminals A and C – projects that will introduce modern spaces, new amenities and a stronger platform for small and local businesses to grow inside one of the world’s busiest airports.

airport openings