New Haven named top 10 trending destination after Connecticut pizza campaign
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WFSB) – Connecticut’s bold pizza marketing campaign has paid off with global recognition, as New Haven was named one of the world’s top 10 trending destinations for U.S. travelers.
Skyscanner’s newly released Travel Trends 2026 report places New Haven alongside destinations like Jaipur, India, Mykonos, Greece, and Olbia, Sardinia. The global travel search engine analyzed thousands of flight searches from January through June 2025, identifying destinations with the greatest year-over-year growth.
New Haven earned its spot with a 39% increase in searches, according to the report.
“It’s one thing to make headlines, it’s another to positively impact how people see our state,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Our pizza might have started the conversation, but now the whole world wants a slice of what Connecticut’s serving. When travelers start searching for New Haven alongside getaways like Costa Rica and Mykonos, you know you’ve captured something uniquely special.”
The recognition caps a year-long “Pizza Capital of the U.S.” campaign launched by the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism.
“Our goal was never just to market pizza, it was to ignite a movement,” said Anthony Anthony, Chief Marketing Officer for the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism. “We took something humble and universal, pizza, and turned it into an invitation to see Connecticut differently.”
According to the Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism, Connecticut saw a 50% increase in pizza-related searches on CTvisit.com and a 22% surge in day trips from New York City to New Haven during the June phase featuring billboards.
Other phases included a media event at BAR New Haven on National Pizza Day, a statewide vote to determine the top 100 pizzerias for the Connecticut Pizza Trail, and rage-bait billboards in New York City that sparked viral debate.
“People who live in New Haven have known for a long time that this city is an awesome place. It’s a great thing that so many other people and places are recognizing that New Haven’s a wonderful place to visit,” Elicker said.
The Elm City recently claimed its spot in the Guinness Book of World Records by hosting the largest pizza party.
“We have a lot of other great assets, the culture, the arts, the university,” said Elicker. “This is an exciting moment where we get a little bit of acknowledgment.”
Chris Latin and his family stepped off the plane from North Carolina and headed straight to Frank Pepe’s for New Haven pizza!
“It was cheap flight from Wilmington, so we thought we’d spend the weekend here. We watch TikTok and saw Dave Portnoy give it a really high score, and I’m hungry,” said Brody Lattin, Wilmington, NC.
“We don’t even have a hotel. We’re trying to figure out where we’re even going to stay tonight,” Chris Latin said.
The power of CT pizza!
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