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Dallas-Fort Worth International lands new honor as North America's best airport

DFW Airport is “the largest airport in the world” to receive the Best Airport award.

Photo courtesy of Barber Shop Marketing

Dallas-Fort Worth has landed near the top in several recent travel rankings, including family friendly vacations and hotels, and now the region can add best airport to that list. The Airports Council International (ACI) has named Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport the winner of the 2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award for Best Airport that serves over 40 million passengers in North America.

The ACI ASQ awards recognize airports that exhibit consistent excellent customer service.

ACI's data is compiled through their worldwide passenger departure and arrival surveys. According to their report, the DFW Airport is “the largest airport in the world” to receive the award.

DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue said in a statement that it was a “tremendous honor” to be declared the best airport in North America, and the award reflects all of the hard work he and his team have done to prioritize their customer service.

“I want to thank and recognize all of our employees, especially our front-line customer experience team, for the passion and commitment they showcase every day in taking such good care of our customers,” he said. “I also want to thank all of our business partners who share our commitment to providing an excellent customer experience."

2023 looks to be one of the busiest years for the DFW Airport since 2019, with 78 million passengers projected to travel at the airport.

More information about the award can be found on the DFW Airport website.

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'Hidden gem' Texas city soars onto 2026 top travel destinations list

Photo by Grace Estrada on Unsplash

El Paso was named one of the "Rising Star Destinations" to book for a vacation in 2026.

A new 2026 Travel Trends Forecast from vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo has unveiled the top U.S. cities that are on travelers' minds for the next year, and one unsuspecting far West Texas city was included on the list: El Paso.

El Paso was named one of six most sought-after "Rising Star Destinations" in the Southwest and Mountain West regions. Search trends revealed traveler interest in El Paso skyrocketed 191 percent year-over-year, with vacationers pining after "desert landscapes" and "frontier-style towns with modern Western flair."

To determine where travelers are planning on booking their 2026 vacations, HomeToGo surveyed 1,000 American adults from November 26-28, 2025 to discover which locales offer "both affordability and under-the-radar appeal." Search interest and price insights were based on observed searches executed via HomeToGo's website from August 1-November 15, 2025, with a check-in date during 2026.

The reports findings show the vacation accommodations in El Paso cost a median $62.21 per night, earning the city a reputation for being more affordable than Texas' major cities like Dallas or Houston. HomeToGo also said travelers are "increasingly turning to smaller [Southwestern] towns" to find accommodations rather than booking a stay at a large resort.

Additionally, younger travelers like Gen Zers and Millennials are driving the shift toward these hidden gem destinations after collecting inspiration from social media sites like Instagram and TikTok.

"Western destinations are seeing a rise in interest, fueled by a broader cultural moment that has placed such locations firmly in the spotlight," the report's author wrote. "In 2025, artists such as Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter brought fresh takes on the visual language of country music firmly into the mainstream, with this movement further amplified across social media platforms."

There's plenty to do in the self-proclaimed "Sun City," such as hiking in Franklin Mountains State Park or Guadalupe Mountains National Park, visiting local museums, and much more.

Other top "Neo-Western Revival" destinations to visit in 2026 include:

Marana, Arizona
Cañon City, Colorado
Yucca Valley, California
Queen Creek, Arizona
Bisbee, Arizona

"According to the survey findings, 76 percent of U.S. travelers plan to go on vacation in 2026, with over a quarter (26 percent) actively booking longer and more extravagant breaks," the report said. "Fifty-seven percent plan to spend more on vacations in comparison to 2025, indicating that the appetite for travel is clearly growing."

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