7/12/19 Santa Fe, Taos, named top cities by Travel + Leisure - Albuquerque Business First

Santa Fe was named the No. 2 Best City in the United States by Travel + Leisure.

Two northern New Mexico cities have been named top cities in America by Travel + Leisure.

Santa Fe and Taos were named the No. 2 and No. 12 cities after being rated on their sights and landmarks, culture, cuisine, friendliness, shopping and overall value, scoring an 80.69 and 86.59 out of 100, respectfully. Charleston, South Carolina, topped Travel + Leisure's list of 15.

Other popular cities on the list include San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, among others.

“We are incredibly pleased and honored to have a place on this list,” said Karina Armijo, director of tourism and marketing for Taos, in a statement. “Taos is unlike any other place on Earth and it is very special to see how many people recognize the value and beauty of our town."

Both Santa Fe and Taos are two of the states bigger tourism draws. Earlier this week, the New Mexico Tourism Department touted its seventh consecutive year of record-breaking visits in New Mexico as 36.6 million trips were taken to and around the state in 2018 — besting last year's figure by 1.2 million and more than 3 percent.

The state's tourism industry had a $6.6 billion economic impact in 2017 — a more than 3 percent increase from its 2016 mark.