Washington Suites donates first NATJA prize for 2012
The Washington Suites Alexandria, a Northern Virginia property located nine miles from the nation’s capital, donated the first prize to NATJA’s 20th annual travel journalism awards.
The prize is a three-night weekend stay, valid Friday through Sunday, in a spacious one-bedroom suite.
NATJA needs prizes for 2012 awards competition
The world’s best travel journalists will compete for prizes provided by the world’s top hotels, resorts, and transportation companies in NATJA’s annual travel journalism awards of the North American Travel Journalists Association.
Conference host hotel offers perfect location
The Red Lion Anaheim, host hotel for the 2012 NATJA conference, not only features newly-renovated rooms but close proximity to the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and Anaheim GardenWalk.
PREZ BOX
Will airlines be left holding the bag?
New DOT rules are leaning that way
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By Dan Schlossberg
REALITIES
Amtrak: no free trips for media but happy to promote services
In a reversal of long-standing policy, Amtrak is no longer providing complimentary transportation for members of the media.
That edict came from Cliff Cole, manager of media relations in the rail service’s New York office.
DISCOVERIES
Lost bags yield bargains in gigantic “garage sale”
When airlines can’t match misplaced luggage with its rightful owners, they pass the problem along – and make a few bucks in the process.
NEWSBYTES
Newest National Park: Bill Clinton birthplace
The birthplace of President Bill Clinton has become the 394th member of the National Park System.
MILESTONES
Members make news with writing, honors
Jacqueline Harmon Butler found romance, wrote about it, and wound up on Kindles and Nooks around the country. In her words: “At the time in my life when I thought my love life was over, I traveled to Italy and was seduced by a younger man. What should only have been a one-night stand continues much to the indignation of my grown children and friends. From Lucca to San Francisco and back to Lucca, our romance sizzles with excitement and drama.” The name of her book is Taking a Chance on Love.
BULLETIN BOARD
Groups grab 2012 dates in long-range planning
PowWow Projections: The calendar of International PowWow, which attracts 500 journalists and more than 4,000 delegates to the world's largest travel show, has a decidedly westward look. After meeting in San Francisco from May 21-25 this year, it will move south to Los Angeles (April 21-25, 2012) and Las Vegas (June 8-12, 2013).
TRIPS FOR MEMBERS
Spring ahead, fall behind
ARIZONA: The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess opened in 1987, expanded in 1990 and 1996, and joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in 1999. The 649-room resort earned an AAA Five-Diamond Award every year from 1990-2010. To arrange a visit, or a taste of the wood-grilled burgers at Bourbon Steak, contact Valerie Lee, director of public relations, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 E. Princess Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85255 (Tel. 480-585-2706, valerie.lee@fairmont.com).
Book Nook by: Arline Zatz
Los Angeles Attractions
512 pp., $24.95 plus $4 shipping and handling (Californians add $2.05 more for sales tax) Museon Publishing, P.O. Box 17095, Beverly Hills, CA 90209-2095, www.museonbooks.com.
The Wayfarer Winter 2010-2011
The WAYFARER
NORTH AMERICAN TRAVEL JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
Winter Edition
IN THIS ISSUE / Winter 2010-11
T NATJA marks 20th anniversary
T Anaheim wins 2011 conference
T Award winners revealed soon
T Frommer’s picks top ‘11 destinations
NATJA marks 20th anniversary
The partying didn’t end with the holidays: NATJA will celebrate its 20th anniversary throughout 2011.
Anaheim wins 2011 conference as NATJA stays close to home
Save the dates: the Ninth Annual NATJA Conference will be held in Anaheim, Sept. 13-15.
Travel journalism awards winners to be announced later this month
Winners of 2011 prizes in NATJA’s travel journalism awards competition will be announced in January.
Journalists, including authors and photographers as well as bloggers and broadcasters, competed for 40 prizes in more than two-dozen different categories.
Frommer’s Picks Top 2011 Destinations
Writers and editors of the Frommer’s travel guides have named a dozen destinations they believe will be big news for travelers in 2011.
New book tells travel writers best ways to keep costs low
Keeping costs down is good policy for anyone in these tough economic times but especially true for travel journalists.
So says Ken Lovering, a one-time travel industry marketing director who has become an award-winning travel writer.
Travel writers: make money writing blogs for ‘Tripatini’
Travel journalists looking for some recognition and pocket cash are encouraged to send their blogs to Tripatini through the end of February.
THE PREZ BOX
------------------------By Dan Schlossberg
A NOTE OF THANKS: When times are tough, nobody wants to give anything anyway. That is why NATJA is especially appreciative to all the hoteliers, transportation companies, CVB’s, state tourism offices, PR firms, and travel suppliers who donated prizes to the 2010 travel journalism awards competition. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your exceptional and thoughtful generosity.
Experts says U.S. should copy El Al’s security system
El Al’s former security director says American airline security is “an illusion” and insists that passenger profiling is the best way to improve it.
Issac Yeffet, who ran security operations for Israel’s national airline, says El Al requires every passenger to be interviewed by a well-trained agent before check-in. Agents then perform electronic body scans or pat-down searches only on those who arouse suspicion during the interview.
TRIPS FOR MEMBERS
Winter Treks Range From Hot to Cold
ALABAMA FAM: Join “Famous Faces, Famous Places,” a press trip that will include the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Helen Keller’s Birthplace, and Muscle Shoals, the hit recording capital of the world during the ‘70s. The FAM will visit the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, the only Frank Lloyd Wright structure in the state, the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Want a news hook? This is the 50th anniversary of the first live performance of “The Miracle Worker,” about Helen Keller’s life. To sign up, contact Edith Parten, media relations manager at Alabama Tourism (Tel. 800-ALABAMA or 334-242-4537, edith.parten@tourism.alabama.gov).
What to do when weather wreaks havoc with flights
By Anne McDermott
FareCompare
If your airport gets socked by a winter storm, would you know what to do?
Whether you’re the seasoned pro who gets to the gate on time – even for delayed flights – or the less-frequent traveler who still wants to be prepared for all occasions, these tips are for you:
MILESTONES
Lola Akinmade, a new NATJA member who lives in Sweden, needs online votes to qualify for a June 2011 trip to the North Pole with Quark Expeditions. A widely-published writer and photographer, Akinmade [www.lolaakinmade.com] is soliciting votes for her trip at http://www.blogyourwaytothenorthpole.com/entries/15.
BULLETIN BOARD
Now that the New Year is upon us, travel writers are planning their calendars with the following dates in mind:
PROFILE: Hillary Angel, Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism
--------------------------------------------------------------------By Maureen Littlejohn
At a recent promotional dinner in Toronto, Hillary Angel greeted every guest with a sunny, warm smile that was almost angelic.
The public relations manager of the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism was in town to announce a new direct flight starting in February.
Northeast Report: Inside the Albany CVB
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------By Arline Zatz
[Editor’s Note: Incoming New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who takes office in January, will find a lot to like at his new home in Albany.]
Albany, the capital of New York, is a historic river city with 400 years of rich and varied heritage. The Hudson River Way artistically connects Albany’s ‘History to the River,’ a large public works project. Leisure travelers enjoy special events as well as architectural and historic sites. Meetings and conventions gather in one of the city’s architectural treasures, the Gov. Nelson Rockefeller Empire State Plaza. Its main convention hall and theaters in the elliptical-shaped ‘egg’ are part of the city’s skyline.
PERFECT PLACES
Overnight at the Ice Hotel? Not me.
By SUSAN HALLETT
[Editor’s Note: This new column provides expanded coverage to a destination or resort that would normally receive a short blurb in the Trips for Members column.]
Quebec City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the only fortified city in Canada. It has all the atmosphere of an ancient French town, with small houses huddled together and horse-drawn buggies to take visitors on romantic tours through the narrow streets of the old “ville.”
It also has an ice hotel, the only one in North America.
Entertainment Book offers travel bonanza, smartphone app, one-month subscriptions
Each new edition of The Entertainment Book contains pleasant surprises for travelers.
The 2011 coupon book features substantial discounts for accommodations, restaurants, car rentals, plane tickets, events, attractions, and more, with some 500 coupon deals contained in each edition.
Travelers will also find the following:
NATJA awards prize roster features international look
The NATJA travel journalism awards have a strong international flavor again.
THE PREZ BOX
Don’t forget Tipping when planning for trip
By: Dan Schlossberg
Tipping is the most overlooked aspect of traveling. When and whom to tip, and how much, is a question that must be answered not only by the general public but also by travel writers – especially those on a press trip.
MILESTONES
Diane Eaton has received two journalism awards: a bronze and silver from Parenting Publications of America at its 2010 conference. One award was in the Family Travel category while the other honored a Special Travel Section in a 2009 issue of Tulsa Kids magazine.
EDITOR’S NOTES
Christopher P. Baker, a featured speaker at NATJA’s Reno conference in May, has created a new travel app about Costa Rica for Sutro Media of San Francisco.
TRIPS FOR MEMBERS
Writers get first crack at new museums, resorts
Linda Ballou Learns Lessons at Book Passage Conference
Adventure travel writer Linda Ballou, author of the 2010 book Lost Angel Walkabout – One Traveler’s Tales, said attending the Book Passage Travel Writing Conference gave her momentum for her next book project.
Just Say No! Expert Offers Alternatives to Airline Fees
Jeff Michaels, author of Please Hug Me – I’ve Been Delayed, has a few choice words for airline passengers besieged by rising airline fees: just say no!
PRO FILE
DCI’s Clients Bring Barnes to Six Continents
By: Maureen Littlejohn
To many NATJA members, Karyl Leigh Barnes is the face of Development Counselors International, a 50-year-old destination marketing firm based in New York.
HOTEL CHAT
Istanbul Incident: Royalty and Scary Creatures Meet
By: Susan Hallett
In 1923, when Mustaka Kamal Ataturk established a republic in what was once part of the Ottoman Empire, the Pera Palas, truly one of the grand old hotels of Europe, was in its heyday.
BOOK NOOK
A Look at ‘Los Angeles Attractions’
By: Arline Zatz
Los Angeles Attractions, written by Borislav Stanic, is a great resource for travelers seeking both world-famous and hidden treasures – many listed nowhere else.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP: CANADA
By Maureen Littlejohn
In the pampering department: the Canadian Tourism Commission’s International Guide to Canadian Spas, published this year, lists 57 of the country’s best spas.
REGIONAL REPORT: NORTHEAST
Hiking, Harvesting, and Leaf-Peeping Highlight Fall Agendas
By: Mike Schuman
People may think Rhode Island is merely a summer outdoors destination. But don’t tell that to the people who live in South County.
REGIONAL REPORT: SOUTHWEST
Inside the Greater Phoenix CVB
By Trish Hendrickson
The Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau (GPCVB) has been a tremendous asset to the media and the public by providing timely and substantial information about the area, from editorial content to visitor information.
REGIONAL REPORT: MID-ATLANTIC
Valley Forge Offers Vivacious Vistas for Fall
By: Arline Zatz
The National Park Service has rated Valley Forge National Historic Park one of the Top 10 parks in the USA for leaf-peeping.
BULLETIN BOARD
Workshops Attract Writers
By Colleen Fliedner
Although we are all travel writers, many of us write everything from nonfiction books to novels, newspaper columns, and even technical manuals.
Carla's Corner
Kentucky Jaunt Rejuvenates the Senses
by: Carla Marie Rupp
Weaving stories of goodness and wholesomeness through travel journalism is an idea to consider in these times of threatening news.
THE WAYFARER SUMMER 2010 ISSUE
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Summer 2010
Vol 19 Issue 3
The WAYFARER
NORTH AMERICAN TRAVEL JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
IN THIS ISSUE / Summer 2010
Schlossberg honored for years of service
NATJA lands plethora of prizes for 2010 awards competition
Buying editors hit the jackpot at NATJA’s Reno conference
Schlossberg Honored In Reno For Years of Service
Dan Schlossberg will now serve as President Emeritus.
NATJA lands plethora of prizes for 2010 awards competition
There’s a glittering new look to the prize roster of the 19th annual NATJA travel journalism awards competition.
Buying editors hit the jackpot at NATJA’s Reno conference
Six editors searching for freelance writers were among the featured speakers at the eighth annual NATJA conference.
USA-Canada Trip Requires Right Documents
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) remind summer visitors to bring the right documents when crossing either border.
Trips: Writers Find History Lives in Hotels
AUSTRALIA: Australia’s southernmost state, Tasmania is a vast wilderness marked by luxury, history, and a culture found nowhere else on the planet.
Member Notes: Milestones
NATJA members keep racking up awards.
Hotel Chat: Montreal's Beaver Club
By Susan Hallett
Montreal’s beautiful Fairmont Queen Elizabeth is known around the world for the week-long“bed-in” held there by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Regional Report: Southeast
By Leigh Cort
Location has its privileges, as evidenced from this summer’s Southern summary.
Editor's Notes
GuideGecko.com, an innovative publishing platform and online travel bookstore with 3000+ titles, has launched its 2010 International Guidebook Writing Contest.
Get in Gear
[Editor’s Note: Samples of the new products that appear in this column are often available to travel journalists upon request.]
Letter to the Editor
I filed my first Maine Windjammer travel feature today, anticipating publication July 4.
Thank you very much for the opportunity, for the extraordinary award, and for partnering in this generous way to give my readers grand new ideas for their travels.
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