The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau Chairman Nelda Blair, left, discusses with The Woodlands Township’s Chairman Bruce Tough the recent story by Travel + Leisure naming The Woodlands one of “America’s Coolest Suburbs.�

In the web exclusive story which appears on the magazine’s website, www.travelandleisure.com, Travel + Leisure writes, “This suburb is a master-planned community built within 28,000 acres of forest, 25 miles from downtown Houston. After opening in 1974, the town has wooed many young Texans; the average age is 36. One main attraction is its thriving town center, filled with great restaurants, bars, and major retail outlets, all accessible by foot or trolley. Fox Sports Network and Anadarko Petroleum are headquartered here, and an elaborate park and lake system is navigable by water taxi.�

As part of its profile on The Woodlands, Travel + Leisure recommends readers check out a concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. It also recommends a visit to The Goose’s Acre Bistro & Irish Pub in Waterway Square, the 107 year old genuine Irish Pub was operated in Ireland for 100 years before being disassembled, shipped to The Woodlands and rebuilt.

“The story shows why suburbs are more than just a great place to live, they’re a great place to visit,� notes Nelda Luce Blair, chairman of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The Woodlands is a great destination.� “This is incredible visibility for promoting The Woodlands as a great spot for families and couples looking for a getaway close to Houston,� adds Nick Wolda, president of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In 2009, Travel + Leisure’s website generated more than 5.5 million page views and more than 590,000 unique visitors. This isn’t the first time The Woodlands has earned national headlines as a great spot to visit. Just last year, The Woodlands was voted by the readers of Southern Living Magazine as one of America’s best shopping destinations.

Earlier this month, the Washington, D.C.-based real estate advisory firm RCLCO, which tracks the performance of master-planned communities on a year-over-year basis through an annual survey of more than 400 developments, awarded The Woodlands the #2 spot for “10 Best-Selling Master Planned Communities� in the country for 2009.
“The Woodlands illustrates a community can in fact embrace tourism while maintaining its exemplary quality of life,” adds Bruce Tough, The Woodlands Township Chairman of the Board.

About The Woodlands
Located just 30 minutes north of Houston, Texas and minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, The Woodlands is an emerging destination for leisure guests, individual business travelers and groups of all sizes. Visitors to The Woodlands enjoy more than five million square feet of world-class shopping, dining and entertainment options, more than 185 miles of hike-and-bike trails, the 1,700-acre Mitchell Preserve, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, one of the top five outdoor amphitheatres in the world, 115 parks and kayaking on The Woodlands Waterway and Lake Woodlands. The Woodlands features world-class golf and is home to more than 1,400 guestrooms in upscale and boutique properties, select service, limited service, conference and convention centers and a resort.
Source:TWCVB