January 20, 2026 – LocalsInsider, using recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics data, ranked the “top 20 emerging U.S. travel hot spots” by comparing increases in airport passengers from January through July 2024 and 2025. St. Petersburg came in at No. 5 as St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport saw a 9.6% year-over-year increase in arriving passengers. Knoxville, Tennessee, paced the nation with a 13.5% increase at McGhee Tyson Airport over the same period.
