Mitchell's Ice Cream's new flagship store opens

Mitchell's Ice Cream on West 25th in Ohio City: One of the reasons Cleveland made Travel + Leisure's list of the best 50 places to travel in 2015. (Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)

(Thomas Ondrey Thomas Ondrey)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland – along with Las Vegas, Miami and Milan, Italy – made Travel + Leisure magazine's list of the best places to visit in 2015.

Among the reasons cited for Cleveland's inclusion: new hotels, great restaurants -- and the return of LeBron James.

The list includes 50 destinations worldwide, including 12 in the United States. Also on the list: Bali, Indonesia; Australia's Great Barrier Reef; and Maui, Hawaii.

Magazine editors chose the destinations based on industry news and trends, with input from contributing writers, travel agents and local experts.

"Revival is well under way in downtown Cleveland, as young professionals move in and historic buildings are repurposed," says the magazine. "One of downtown's most buzzed-about 2015 openings is Mabel's BBQ from Iron Chef and native son Michael Symon, who wants to establish a Cleveland-style barbecue."

It goes on: "The innovative local food scene also counts farm-to-table Flying Fig and Mitchell's Ice Cream, which began churning out seasonal small-batch flavors in April 2014. Both are in the hip Ohio City neighborhood, near the West Side Market, linked to downtown by new bike lanes. Over in Uptown, the Cleveland Institute of Art's expansion nears completion."

For a look at all 50 best places: travelandleisure.com/articles/best-places-to-travel-in-2015