Charlotte’s top travel spots: Most popular U.S. and international flights from CLT
For Charlotte airport passengers, Florida’s theme park capital of the world, the Big Apple and Beantown were some of their favorite U.S. destinations in 2024.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport recently announced last year’s top domestic and international destinations for travelers. The airport broke records in 2024 with 58.8 million passengers — a 10% increase from 53.4 million in 2023.
Here’s where they visited the most last year domestically.
1. Orlando, Florida
Mickey Mouse and friends continue to attract the most visitors from the Queen City.
For the fifth straight year, Orlando led the way for domestic travelers flying out of CLT. The city is home to Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios Florida and many other tourist attractions.
For tourists wanting to relax near the ocean, Cocoa Beach is the closest beach to Orlando. It’s an hour drive from the city.
2. New York City
America’s largest city came in second place last year for CLT passengers. New York moved up one spot from 2023.
The “city that never sleep” boasts innumerable tourists attractions and landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and of course Broadway shows.
New York is also the business capital of the U.S. More than 50 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the city.
3. Dallas-Fort Worth
The largest region in Texas was the third most popular spot for passengers at Charlotte Douglas last year. Dallas-Fort Worth switched positions with New York last year.
It has attractions such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and Dallas World Aquarium. The region is also home to the first Six Flags amusement park.
Fort Worth is also home for American Airlines. CLT is the second largest hub for the airline and accounts for about 90% of all flights out of the airport.
4. Chicago
The Windy City remained in fourth place for last year and 2023.
Chicago’s popular sites include the Art Institute of Chicago; Millennium Park, which has Cloud Gate, a large shiny silver bean shaped sculpture; and the Navy Pier, a waterfront destination with shops, restaurants and parks.
The region also is a major business hub with headquarters for brands such as McDonald’s, Motorola Solutions and Quaker Oats.
5. Boston
New England’s largest city kept its fifth place ranking among CLT passengers for 2023 and 2024.
Boston, a city entrenched in American history, has popular historic places such as the Boston Tea Party site; the New England Aquarium; and Boston Public Garden, the first public botanical garden in the U.S.
The region is also the headquarters for office supply retailer Staples, pet product supplier Chewy and many biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Top international destinations
CLT had 2.4 million international passengers last year — a 13% increase from the 2.1 million in 2023.
London kept the top spot in 2024 for overseas destinations. The capital city has such famous attractions as Buckingham Palace; Big Ben; the Tower of London castle and fortress; and the West End theater district with shops, museums and restaurants.
London was also first in 2023 when it knocked Cancun, Mexico down to the second spot. Cancun and its white sandy beaches kept its same spot in 2024. Along with beaches, it offers water sports and nightlife and Mayan archaeological sites are close by.
Punta Canta, Dominican Republic, was third last year. The Caribbean town has beaches such as Saona Island and Scape Park, a theme park with water activities and a natural swimming hole.
Montego Bay, Jamaica, followed at fourth place. It has a lot of popular beach destinations and nature sites such as Dunn’s River Falls, a place where people can climb up a waterfall near the CaribbeanSea.
Munich, Germany, came in fifth. The city also has tourist attractions such as Nymphenburg Palace and Deutsches Museum, which offers science exhibits.
More on CLT
Charlotte Douglas has 188 non-stop destinations including 42 international destinations and three U.S. territories. CLT is the seventh busiest airport in the world for arrivals and departures, according to the Airports Council International.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 6:03 AM.
