In recent weeks, the Pensacola Bay Area has earned four significant distinctions, confirming its place among the best destinations in the world to visit.

This month, American Express Travel put Pensacola on its Go List of the top 10 most popular cities to visit this summer in the United States. The site praised the Pensacola area’s numerous music concerts and Pensacola Beach’s “open-air bars and access to the longest protected seashore in the nation, the Gulf Islands National Seashore.”

To compile this list, American Express Travel found the top destinations trending for summer travel by looking at the difference in bookings from this year compared to last year.

“We know what a gem we have here in the Pensacola Bay Area,” said Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola. “But having trusted groups,, like American Express Travel, sing our praises gives us even more legitimacy as a top tourist destination.”

Also receiving top honors this month is Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. With its panoramic view of the bay and Gulf of Mexico, the home of the Blue Wahoos baseball team – a Double-A affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds - received not one, but two, distinct honors.

The Southern League team’s scenic stadium won MiLB.com’s first-ever “Best Seat in the House” contest. Fans across the nation voted the view from the Double-A club’s field the best in the Minors, making it a must-visit location in Minor League Baseball.

"We're extremely excited," said Blue Wahoos President Jonathan Griffith in an article on the official site of Minor League Baseball. "It really shows off our community here in Pensacola. It shows people across the country what a great area we live in."

Baseball America sports magazine and website also gave an accolade to Pensacola’s waterfront ballpark in May. With more than 60 ballparks nominated, Pensacola Bayfront Stadium ranked amongst the Top 25 Best Ballparks in the Minors. The site credited the ballpark’s postcard-like setting, saying, “Bayfront Stadium earns its name with an unobstructed view of Pensacola Bay. A trio of party decks line the outfield wall, the concessions menu is loaded with seafood dishes and microbrew options are plentiful.”

Lastly, two Pensacola Beach hotels recently received Awards of Excellence by the world’s largest travel site. Holiday Inn Express Pensacola Beach and Margaritaville Beach Hotel were both inducted into the 2015 Hall of Fame by TripAdvisor in May.

This accolade is granted only to those businesses that have won the Certificate of Excellence for five years in a row. Certificates can be earned only by receiving consistently great reviews on the site. Several area businesses also received Certificates of Excellence last month, including Visit Pensacola.

This string of awards continues the area’s national recognition in recent months. USA TODAY announced in March that the Gulf Islands National Seashore won the title of Best Florida Beach in its 10Best Readers’ Choice poll. Also in February of this year, TripAdvisor's annual Travelers' Choice Awards for best beaches was announced, and Pensacola Beach ranked No. 5 out of the top 25 best beaches in the United States.