In January, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell (top left) and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland read a proclamation to a crowd of Elvis Presley fans before cutting the first slice from a birthday cake during celebrations commemorating the 81st anniversary of Elvis Presley's birthdate at Graceland. Hundreds gathered to sing happy birthday to "The King" and share the Hollywood-themed cake. Money magazine has urged tourists to visit Graceland's new hotel, the Guest House, which is scheduled to open this year. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE Money magazine urged visitors to dine on Memphis barbecue. This image happens to picture the Big Leonard barbecue sandwich. Leonard's Pit Barbecue owner Dan Brown earlier this year was chosen to represent Memphis when Heinz rolls out four new sauces. (Michael Donahue / The Commercial Appeal)

By Ted Evanoff of The Commercial Appeal

OK, we’re not San Diego. We’re not New York. We’re Memphis.

And guess what?

That means we rate pretty darn high in Money magazine’s latest online tourism guide.

Looking for the “seven domestic destinations that offer the best travel experiences at the best prices in 2016,” Money ranked Memphis third after No. 1 San Diego and No. 2 N.Y.

“With the drop in airfares, a new Graceland hotel, and all that great barbecue, you won’t be singing the blues here,” writes the magazine, a financial advice publication that claimed 1.9 million print readers in 2012.

One of Memphis’ high points this year, Money says, is a 10.3-percent airfare decline over the last year.

“The time has come to take singer Marc Cohn’s musical suggestion and go walking in Memphis,” Money writes. “The average roundtrip airfare has fallen almost $50 year over year, and a four-star hotel room costs $154 a night on average. Somewhere Elvis is smiling.”

The drop in air travel tickets reflects in part the influx of discount carriers since Delta Air Lines closed its hub in 2013. While the non-stop flights to most big U.S. cities are gone, so are the steepest fortress hub fares. Meanwhile, Memphis is now within one stop of almost all the 30 largest cities in the country. Suggests the magazine:

“For an even more down-home introduction to Blues City, try the Hi-Tone Cafe, a dive bar where locals gather for live music ($10 cover for some shows) and cans of Wiseacre Brewing’s Tiny Bomb, made with local honey…..

“Along with the music, Memphis is known for its finger-licking barbecue joints, such as Central BBQ. “The pulled-pork sandwich ($5) and mac and cheese ($3.50) are essential orders,” says Holly Whitfield of ILoveMemphisBlog.com. Elvis fans should keep tabs on the new Guest House at Graceland, located about eight miles from the city center and set to open in October. Introductory rates will start at $159 a night.”

Whether the magazine’s account of the Bluff City will help the city’s tourism industry -- the region's hospitality industry employs 65,000 people -- remains to be seen. But it is clear Memphis is already on a lot of tourism maps largely because of the music, (Beale Street alone attracts 5 million visitors annually) the National Civil Rights Museum, and Graceland, which is completing its 450-room luxury hotel.

"Beale was named the most popular tourist destination in Tennessee; the readers of USA Today voted it the most iconic street in America,” former Downtown Memphis Commission president Paul Morris earlier noted.

Also making's Money's must-visit list are No. 4 Fort Lauderdale, Florida; followed by Las Vegas, Nevada; Austin, Texas; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

