CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland - rippling "with new cultural energy" - is among the top places to visit in 2018, according to National Geographic Traveler, which recently named the city to its annual Best of the World list.

Cleveland is among 21 destinations cited by the magazine in its December/January issue, and one of just three in the United States. Other destinations on the list: Madagascar; Dublin, Ireland; Oaxaca, Mexico; plus San Antonio, Texas, and Oahu, Hawaii in the United States.

The destinations are divided into three categories: Cities, Nature and Culture. Cleveland is one of seven entries in the Culture category.

The entry on Cleveland begins: "Onion-domed churches and cold-brew cafes on streets a-flicker with gas porch lights might summon images of Krakow or Budapest. But this is Cleveland. The big-boned Ohio city built by Eastern European immigrants and Midwestern moxie ripples with new cultural energy."

It goes on to mention Playhouse Square, the Beachland Ballroom, Hingetown and the Waterloo Arts District, the Black Pig restaurant and the Plum Cafe and Kitchen.

George Stone, editor of National Geographic Traveler, described Cleveland as a place "that you kind of thought you knew but you don't."

He lauded the ongoing renaissance in Cleveland, evidenced by new cultural attractions, new restaurants - and new residents. "You can see a focused energy of creative talent -- people who would have the option to go anywhere, but they're making Cleveland great again," said Stone, who grew up in Toledo and has chronicled Northeast Ohio's comeback over the years.

Destinations were whittled down from a list of hundreds after a series of conversations and meetings with staff and contributing writers and editors around the world, he said.

David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland, welcomed the praise. "It's a very important affirmation," he said. "You don't land on a list like this by accident."

It's particularly meaningful, said Gilbert, that the magazine included Cleveland on its Culture list - alongside Vienna, Austria; Sydney, Australia; and Harar, Ethiopia.

"That says an awful lot about how Cleveland is perceived," he said, citing the merging of long-standing cultural institutions - including the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art -- with 21st-century attractions, such as the Happy Dog and the Transformer Station. "What makes Cleveland unique? It's not just culture - it's our brand of culture. It's culture that's borne out of several generations of tough times."

Gilbert said Destination Cleveland will use the recognition to try to draw more visitors to town. He also hopes current residents get some satisfaction from the outside attention, as well.

Three years ago, in the months following the announcement that Cleveland would host the Republican National Convention in 2016, the city landed on several "Best Places to Visit" lists, including those compiled by the New York Times and Travel + Leisure magazine.

Gilbert said it's hard to track whether positive travel stories lead to an increase in visitors. He said he's certain it leads to a boost in perception, both among people inside and outside the city.

He said he personally appreciates the reinforcement. "Sometimes you wonder - are you in your own echo chamber? These are the kind of things that show that's not the case. People around the country and around the world do recognize how great we are."