South Carolina recognized with top honors in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards
October 8, 2026
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Columbia, S.C. – Condé Nast Traveler announced the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, with South Carolina earning top honors across multiple categories. For the fifth consecutive year, Charleston was named the The Best Small City in the U.S., and Greenville was ranked an impressive fourth. South Carolina also claimed the top two spots among the Top Islands in the U.S., with Hilton Head Island ranked #1 and Kiawah Island #2.
Condé Nast Traveler received more than 798,867 survey responses from readers across the United States rating their travel experiences across the globe to offer a comprehensive look at the places they eagerly anticipate revisiting. The Readers' Choice Awards, with its unparalleled legacy as the travel industry's longest-running and most prestigious accolades from our readers, remains the ultimate symbol and acknowledgment of excellence within the travel sector. The full list of winners can be found here.
“The Readers’ Choice Awards reflect what we all know: South Carolina offers the best destinations from the mountains to the coast,” said Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. “Generations of visitors have flocked to our sandy beaches and rolling foothills, contributing to a thriving tourism economy that propels communities in every corner of the Palmetto State forward. We congratulate every destination and business named in this year’s ranking.”
Charleston has now held the top small city ranking 15 times in the past 16 years, while Greenville returns to the list at #4 following an eight-year run among the nation’s best small cities from 2017 through 2024.
Full South Carolina accolades are as follows:
- Best Cities in the U.S.: Charleston (#1) and Greenville (#4)
- Top Islands in the U.S.: Hilton Head Island (#1), Kiawah Island (#2), Fripp Island (#15), and Isle of Palms (#18)
- Top Resorts in the South: Wild Dunes Resort (#4), The Dunlin, Auberge Collection (#6), The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort (#8), Montage Palmetto Bluff (#11), and The Sea Pines Resort (#14)
- Top Hotels in the South: The Willcox Hotel (#15), Hotel Hartness (#19), Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, Autograph Collection (#23), and The Beaufort (#24)
- Top Beaches in the U.S.: Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island (#12)
- Best Airports in the U.S.: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (#1)
The 2026 Readers' Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at cntraveler.com/rca and celebrated in the November issue.
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About the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism markets the state as a preferred vacation destination, manages South Carolina's state parks, and empowers local communities to develop recreational assets. Explore the unforgettable flavors, great golf, rich history, sandy beaches and family attractions a South Carolina vacation has to offer at DiscoverSouthCarolina.com.
The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism markets the state as a preferred vacation destination, manages South Carolina's state parks, and empowers local communities to develop recreational assets. Explore the unforgettable flavors, great golf, rich history, sandy beaches and family attractions a South Carolina vacation has to offer at DiscoverSouthCarolina.com.
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