Branson named top holiday destination

Frommer, author of the “Pauline Frommer Travel Guide” and other travel works, Nov. 18 named Branson to her list of top destinations for its “areawide lighting and dazzling holiday decorations,” according to a city news release.

Branson’s Ozark Mountain Christmas festival this year features new attractions such as The World’s Largest Titanic Museum, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater and Brandon Landing, which is decked out for “Winter WonderLanding.” Silver Dollar City also is a popular spot during the holidays, with 4 million lights strewn along its pathways.

Entertainers with holiday shows along the Highway 76 strip include Andy Williams, the Lennon Sisters, the Osmonds and the Gatlins.

Ozark Mountain Christmas runs through Dec. 31.

“The fact that travel experts have placed Branson among the top holiday destinations in the world shows the level of excellence and a growing recognition of this spectacular season of Branson,” said Ross Summers, president of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, in a news release.

Other list toppers were Sante Fe, N.M.; Las Vegas; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; New York City; Rome; Puerto Rico; New Orleans and Sydney, Australia.