Tens of thousands of visitors stream into Bristol every summer, and not just for the Fourth of July Parade and related events, but also to enjoy the plethora of open space and waterfront access, and tour historic sites like Linden Place, Mount Hope Farm, Blithewold Mansion and Coggeshall Farm, among others.

Once the temperature drops, however, Bristol usually reverts to a quieter, yet still quaint and attractive town. The traffic is a little lighter, and, save for an infrequent major event like last week’s Christmas Festival, visitors tend to be less prevalent.

That could be changing, however, as Bristol’s reputation as a cold-weather vacation destination got a boost this week in two prominent national magazines. Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar both featured the town of Bristol as a destination for an “affordable winter vacation people often overlook.” The magazines both list Bristol as the number 6 destination in their international top-7 list of “escapes you’ve been overlooking.”

“The quaint New England town features an adorable (and totally walkable) downtown which gets gussied up for the holidays as part of the Bristol Christmas Festival,” the magazine article reads. “Take a tour of the Blitheworld Mansion, which features glittering gardens transformed into a winter wonderland. Explore the Herreshoff Marine Museum and the Musée Patamécanique—a creative, museum-like experience—if you can get in.”

Bristol slots in just ahead of a more expected winter getaway — the Caribbean island of Saba. Cape Cod, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Santa Barbara, Calif., Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Cannes, France, make up the top 5.

The magazine lists the Bristol Harbor Inn, “with views overlooking the Bristol Harbor and Narragansett Bay” and low winter rates, as its recommended hotel in town. 

“Want something a bit more cozy? Book a room at the Bristol House Bed & Breakfast, where you can sip on Autumn Glow Punch at night and eat a delish breakfast in the a.m.,” the magazine article reads.

The article is a result of Bristol’s marketing effort, led by New York public relations firm Lou Hammond & Associates, who approached the magazines with the pitch for Bristol, according to Mike Byrnes of Explore Bristol. That kind of marketing to bring visitors to town is what allows local museums to stay open and local restaurants and shops to thrive, he said.

“It points to the power of marketing,” Mr. Byrnes said. “There is no single silver bullet to bring people to town and enhance tourism. there are a lot of individual things. One thing is to try to attract the cultural traveler — we have eight museums in town. Both publications reach that sort of audience.”

The article should help draw people to the area even in the dead of winter when tourists tend to head to warmer climes. 

“Winter is a challenge, no doubt — we’re trying to spread the calendar out,” Mr. Brynes said, mentioning the Christmas Festival and Snowflake Raffle as a couple winter events that draw crowds. “Bristol is a unique draw as a tourist destination. Bristol is pretty authentic. It’s a tourist destination, but not a touristy destination. We want to make sure people know there are things to do and good restaurants to eat at while they’re here.”