JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A national report has ranked Jacksonville as the worst vacation spot for summer travel, but some city leaders and residents are calling bogus.
“Before you say anything, come check us out," Lana Patrick, a Jacksonville resident, said.
Patrick has lived in Jacksonville since 2017 and has always thought of it as the best place to visit in Florida.
“You know it’s Florida, so it’s kinda like a tourist destination. You’ve got great weather and great beautiful beaches, lots better then down in Miami," Patrick said.
The report from Forbes Advisor compared the 43 most populated cities looking at things like walk ability, airport reliability, crime rates and rated restaurants.
Here are the categories Forbes said Jacksonville did poorly on:
- Scores lowest for walkability and third lowest for access to public transportation.
- Jacksonville International Airport has the second highest percentage of disrupted summer flights (28.9% on average).
- Sixth fewest parking lots and garages (1.49 per 100,000 residents).
- Eighth highest crime rate (63.99 crimes per 1,000 residents).
- Ranks eighth for fewest restaurants with four or more stars on Tripadvisor (728).
Being the largest city by landmass in the nation, it’s no surprise to Councilman Jimmy Peluso that Jacksonville ranked worse for walk ability.
“I think our city is massive and we do need to connect it, but JTA is taking steps to kind find better bus routes, how we can move people around a little faster," Peluso said.
Mayor Donna Deegan says Jacksonville has tons to offer tourists and improving some categories like crime and public transportation are always priorities.
"I think when you look at some of the things they used, things like walk ability, we're a city of 840 square miles, you know. But I think the fact that we're opening up our riverfront and creating more public access for places is going to speed us up that list pretty quick," Mayor Donna Deegan said.
Peluso points out that his district which includes Downtown Jacksonville hosts multiple restaurants, hotels, and attractions like the friendship fountain, MOSH Museum and River Walk.
“You got to be kidding me, if you’re going to tell me that it’s one of the worse places to visit," Peluso said.
According to visit Jax, nearly 22 million people visit the city annually, bringing in an tourism impact of $3.8 billion.