Americans don’t love Las Vegas. It now looks like a hopeless obsession. Of course, there seem to be a million things to do in Vegas—and an entertainment scene that pulsates with activities all through the year. And this is the clincher. Whether one is looking for an entertainment scene that is family-friendly—or a setting that’s a little off the rails—Sin City has it all. It’s, therefore, no surprise that in a ranking of domestic fall destinations in 2022, Americans’ best pick went to Las Vegas.

Read on for some exciting details about where Americans are going this fall—including why Americans can’t just seem to get enough of Las Vegas—even though there are many other fantastic fall destinations.

Americans’ Top Destinations This Fall (2022)

According to TripAdvisor, Las Vegas is the number one destination for Americans this fall. Of course, that’s when domestic travel plans, as opposed to international travel, are analyzed.

It’s a position that’s not unfamiliar to the Entertainment Capital of the World.

In 2021, Sin City also came out tops on TripAdvisor’s 2021 Fall Travel Index. This year’s ranking, however, is a bit more meaningful. This is because, in the previous two years, domestic travel was very much subdued due to the effects of the pandemic.

As expected, this year’s rankings saw some familiar faces. It looks like either many cities make lasting impressions on travelers or most of them work hard to maintain their travel status.

New York City came second in this year’s rankings. Surprisingly, the Big Apple was also second, again after Las Vegas—in the 2021 domestic travel rankings by TripAdvisor.

We should hope that this pattern is broken when we come to number three. Amazingly, the pattern still holds firm. This year (2022)—Orlando Florida emerged as the third most popular domestic fall destination, just the same position it held the previous year.

With this impressive ranking, the Sunshine State is well represented. Then Honolulu and Lahaina, both in Hawaii, round off the top five in this year’s rankings.

Last year, Myrtle Beach was fourth, while Ocean City, Maryland was fifth. While Myrtle Beach slipped to position eight this year, Ocean City this time did not make an appearance in the top ten.

Related: First-Timers Need This Many Days To Make The Most Of Las Vegas

Why Are Americans Obsessed With Las Vegas

To find out why Americans are obsessed with Sin City, we scoured sites like Reddit, Quora, TripAdvisor, and countless others to try and tease out what makes City of Light such a darling with travelers. Well, many reasons. And the motivations are undoubtedly nuanced.

However, there are many factors that get frequent mentions. A number of visitors cite the energy. It turns out that Vegas has a palpable energy that can be felt immediately after one gets off the plane.

It’s an energy that’s difficult to describe. One just has to feel it. And only those who’ve felt it can relate to it. No words can do it justice.

And then there’s the freedom that seems to float in the very air: freedom that’s uninhibited, audacious, even wild. It is this freedom, that’s tinged with chaos, sensuality, and glamour—that makes Las Vegas hopelessly hypnotic.

Let’s be honest. Where else can people freely walk with a drink in hand, and absolutely no one gives a hoot about it?

It’s in Vegas where people can wander through glitzy hotels, many of them 5-star, as if they are part of some public space. It’s also in Vegas (and maybe Austin, Texas) where live music is staged in almost all entertainment spots including restaurants.

Related: A Travel Guide To Las Vegas: 10 Things To Know While Planning Your Trip

Of course, there’s gambling as well. But Las Vegas is far much more than gambling. It’s a great place to forget about bills, bosses, and other burdens.

Mark Twain summed it up best: “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.” He may have had Las Vegas in his mind.

Other Interesting Details About 2022 Fall Travel Rankings

For starters, it looks like the pandemic is firmly behind us. At least, when it comes to travel. One in two Americans reports that they plan to travel more this autumn than they did in 2021.

In the same vein, almost 70% of the respondents indicate that they plan to spend more than they did in the corresponding period last year.

Also, if the survey is anything to go by, then long-haul air travel is back. It looks like local travel is on its sunset.

Aside from the cost, and other unique travel considerations, the highest percentage of Americans—54%—travel the world because of food.

Other than the food, other things Americans highly consider include the number of activities on offer (52%), scenery and friendliness of the people (48%), and weather (40%).

Las Vegas seems to have just about all of these and more. It seems like for those looking for a fall destination, there might be no need to reinvent the wheel.