Connecticut’s Bold Pizza Campaign Pays Off: Skyscanner Names New Haven Among the World’s Top 10 Trending Global Destinations for U.S. Travelers

Hartford, CT – [October 16, 2025] – After a year of bold creative activations, boundary-pushing media stunts, and a digital provocation that captured national attention, Connecticut’s “Pizza Capital of the U.S.” campaign is seeing its efforts pay off in global recognition.

Skyscanner’s newly released Travel Trends 2026 report names New Haven, Connecticut one of the Top 10 Trending Travel Destination for U.S. travelers, alongside world icons like Jaipur, India, Mykonos, Greece, and Olbia, Sardinia.

Skyscanner, a global travel search engine that helps users find and compare the best deals on flights, hotels, and car rentals, analyzed thousands of flight searches from January through June 2025, identifying the destinations experiencing the greatest year-over-year growth. According to the report:

“Where travelers are looking to go next: Our travel experts dove into the data and handpicked 10 destinations from those which saw the biggest year-over-year search surges, to help travelers experience the buzz before they become bigger names.”

New Haven earned its place with a 39% increase in searches—a surge that places Connecticut in elite company on the global stage.

“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.”

Skyscanner’s Top 10 Trending Global Destinations for U.S. Travelers:

• Limón, Costa Rica
• Jaipur, India
• Bodrum, Türkiye
• Madeira, Portugal
• Vail, Colorado
• Zadar, Croatia
• Olbia, Sardinia
• New Haven, Connecticut (+39%)
• Bilbao, Spain
• Mykonos, Greece

A Global Win Born from a Local Slice

This recognition comes as the capstone to a year-long, earned-first campaign that transformed Connecticut’s beloved apizza into a cultural phenomenon. The “Pizza Capital of the U.S.” initiative—launched by the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism—ignited a nationwide pizza debate, drove nearly 16 billion earned media impressions, and repositioned Connecticut as a destination defined by flavor, creativity, and pride.

“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. What started as a local slice of pride has become global proof that bold ideas, when baked in authenticity, can reshape perception. And Connecticut has now gone from being a drive-through state to a destination.”

Beyond the recognition from Skyscanner, the numbers tell the deeper story. The “Pizza Capital of the U.S.” campaign didn’t just spark global conversation—it changed traveler behavior in measurable ways.

Behavioral Impact:

• +50% increase in pizza-related searches on CTvisit.com
• A 22% surge in day trips from New York City to New Haven was recorded during the June phase of the campaign featuring the “rage-bait” billboards.*
• Visitors who dined at featured pizzerias traveled 59 miles farther on average than other visitors*

“The results matter most, especially for our restaurant industry which is made up of 97% independently owned eateries,” added Anthony Anthony. “They tell a powerful story about curiosity turning into clicks and clicks turning into visits that support mom and pop shops. We saw travelers not only searching for Connecticut but showing up and staying longer. That’s the definition of success in destination marketing.”

Year of Activations

The campaign unfolded in bold, interconnected phases:

• September 2024: A “Welcome to Connecticut, Home of the Pizza Capital of the U.S.” highway sign at the NY-CT border ignited the first national debate.
• February 2025 (National Pizza Day): A media event at BAR New Haven announced the first Connecticut Pizza Trail.
• March 2025 (Pi Day): A statewide vote is launched to determine the Top 100 pizzerias for the first-ever trail.
• May 2025: The Top 20 reveal drew validation from Barstool Sports ‘Pizza King’ Dave Portnoy, who called New Haven’s pizza “the best in the world.”
• June 2025: Rage-bait billboards in NYC—sparked viral debate via the BetterPizzaInCT.com microsite, the 1-844-CTPIZZA hotline, and across social media.
• October 2025 (National Pizza Month): A three-day Pizza Trail launch brought media and influencers to Connecticut to experience New Haven, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, and Clinton pizza on the trail.

Additional Global Recognition
Connecticut’s momentum continues to grow on the world stage. The state has also been nominated for “Best USA Destination (State or City)” at the 2025 ITTN Irish Travel Trade Awards, honoring excellence in international tourism promotion.

“This kind of recognition reinforces the power of what we’re building,” said Rachel Lenda, Director of Tourism for the State of Connecticut. “Our goal is to create experiences that make people feel something — and when travelers come here for pizza, they end up discovering our beaches, our culture, our communities. That ripple effect is what makes tourism such a powerful driver for Connecticut.”

Media Contact:
Michelle Bonner
Vice President, Public Relations
Adams & Knight, Inc.
[email protected] | 860.676.2300 x184