Traveling in 2025: Memphis is among the must-see destinations in the United States

Memphis, Tennessee, is a city that needs no introduction. It is the birthplace of musical genres such as rock and blues, it is the home of Elvis and, according to the preferences expressed by travelers on Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, it ranks among the American cities experiencing a tourism boom. In 2023, this vibrant city was named one of the 23 best places to visit in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler in 2023, an achievement that recognizes Memphis’ uniqueness and rewards its commitment at the municipal level to revitalizing and developing its culinary scene, an increasingly crucial aspect of today’s tourism experience. In recent decades, several renewal projects have been launched, including new public spaces, hotels and restaurants that bring out the precious heritage of this city's culinary and musical traditions. Just think of How Tom Lee Park was transformed into a public space 'unlike any in the world', a green area along the banks of the Mississippi that allows citizens to enjoy the riverside promenade again. But let's look at some numbers underlying Memphis' growth in the world tourism scenario.

Memphis, Tennessee: the data from one of the fastest growing destinations

According to data released by the city's marketing agency, Memphis Travel, in 2023 there were an influx of approximately 13.5 million visitors, for an annual contribution to the city's tourism economy of around 4.2 billion dollars. But what are the factors that are driving the tourism boom in Memphis?

The driving factors of this growth

The most attractive and competitive aspects of the city of Memphis are:

• Music: rock, blues and Memphis' connection with artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis. The city has no shortage of musical events to attend, as well as music-related venues such as Sun Studio, the recording studios where Elvis started, as well as the home of the King of Rock, the legendary Graceland, the second most visited house in America;
• Gastronomy: Memphis's signature food is definitely meat. Typical dishes include barbecue, pork tenderloin with curry, lobster, fried chicken, banana pudding and tamales;
• Infrastructure development: alongside the tourism growth, the number of facilities for welcoming visitors has also increased. In the Metropolitan Statistical Area, there are currently about 26,000 hotel rooms, of which 4,000 are located in the city center, a significant increase that has led lodging providers to differentiate their offerings. From this need, hotels in Memphis have emerged that are located in completely redeveloped suburban areas and offer competitive services such as self check-in, luxury services or the possibility of enjoying personalized packages for special occasions such as Valentine's Day;
• Climate: Memphis enjoys a unique climate that is highly appreciated by tourists. Here, the weather is temperate, with relatively cold winters and hot, muggy summers. In January, the coldest month, the average temperature is 5.6°C (42°F), while in july temperatures reach around 28.2°C (82°F);
• Green spaces: Memphis offers several parks and green areas, Shelby Farms State Park, Mud Island River Park, and Tom Lee Park. There is no shortage of outdoor activities here, from boating on the Mississippi to biking along the green paths that crisscross the city’s parks;
• Historic sites: Memphis boasts a significant historical wealth, thanks to its many museums and historic sites that tell its story, starting from the National Civil Rights Museum, dedicated to the civil rights movement in the South of the United States, passing through the Stax Museum of American Soul, which pays homage to soul music and its ties to the civil rights movement, up to Beale Street, a legendary street in Memphis, an icon of the melting pot of cultures.

The success of Memphis in the tourism scene places the Tennessee city in fifth place on the list of favorite destinations for Americans, immediately after West Palm Beach, Santa Barbara, Cleveland and Kansas City.
Below we want to provide useful information to plan a well-organized visit to Memphis.

Visiting Memphis: useful info

Getting to Memphis is easy, the city benefits from the presence of the Memphis International Airport, a large FedEx hub, with daily flights to and from all major American cities. However, it is possible to reach the city by train from New York and Chicago: the train journey from New York to Memphis lasts 43 hours and 36 minutes, while from Chicago to Memphis the trip takes 15 hours and 46 minutes. For road trip lovers, Memphis is crossed by the I-55 (St. Louis - New Orleans) on the north-south route and by the I-40 on the Nashville - Oklahoma City route, highways that offer the experience of an off-the-beaten-path road trip. Memphis can also be reached by Greyhound buses, which allow an authentic immersion into the everyday life of Americans.

Geographically, Memphis benefits from the presence of the Mississippi River, which was essential as it provided water and connections to other cities for the transportation of cotton that was grown in this area.

The best season to visit the city is definitely spring, when the most important event of the year takes place, the Memphis in May International Festival, but also at the beginning of the autumn season, within the first half of October and no later than, avoiding both the stifling, torrid summer weather and the harsh winter temperatures.