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

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

Napa wine brand The Debate uncorks new Texas Hill Country tasting room

The Debate/ Facebook

The Debate will source both Napa Valley and Hill Country grapes.

Need further proof that the Texas wine industry has arrived? Acclaimed Napa Valley wine brand The Debate is expanding into the Hill Country with plans to open a new Stonewall tasting room in spring 2027.

The brand was founded in 2010 with a slightly esoteric philosophy. The Debate believes that wine isn’t just a product, but a way of “fostering connection through conversation.”

One topic will surely be about the finer points of Napa versus Hill Country terroir. The tasting room will pour The Debate's top-rated wines from California alongside new bottles made from Texas fruit. Additional wine programs under the brand's umbrella will target a range of wine drinkers.

"We've always believed that wine is at its best when it brings people together," said Todd Kerlin, the brand's general manager, in a statement. "Texas Hill Country is writing a genuinely exciting chapter in wine right now, and we saw an opportunity to be part of something real here, not to import an experience, but to build one that belongs to this place and the people in it."

The Debate tasting room Once completed, The Debate's tasting room will presumably look less like The Sims.Rendering courtesy of The Debate

Wine industry vet Jean Hoefliger will spearhead the project in Texas. He's not an area newb — he's spent the past five years working with Hill Country producers with Texas Wine Consulting.

"After years of working across wine regions around the world, nothing prepared me for Texas," Hoefliger said. "The energy here is unlike anywhere else, and so is the sense of place."

The Debate plans to partner with regional restaurants and take part in Hill Country wine events as part of its rollout. Membership details, programming, and information on the brand's first Texas releases are expected to be announced closer to the opening.

Once open, it will join two other recently opened tasting rooms on Wine Road 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City: playful concept Acquired Taste Wines in Stonewall and Rebecca Caroline, William Chris’ new sparkling wine tasting room in the historic Hye post office.

wine hill country stonewall wine road 290 openings

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GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

Napa wine brand The Debate uncorks new Texas Hill Country tasting room