WELCOME TO AWARDS SEASON! On the following pages we reveal the winners of our 2017 GT Tested Reader Survey awards. Did you vote? Turn to page 44 to find out which of your favorites ranked. You’ll notice the announcement article has an around-the-world theme, which will carry over to our Dec. 12 awards celebration held at The Peninsula Beverly Hills.

As we wrap up 2017, we also take the opportunity to reflect on our own year in travel — where did you get to across the globe this year? My 2017 looked something like this: Berlin; Spain’s Ribera del Duero region; Atlanta; Cape San Blas, Fla.; Chicago; Los Angeles; Thailand; London; Boston; Ocean City, Md.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ukraine; Clearwater Beach, Fla.; and back to Los Angeles. Feel free to share your 2017 in travel with us via email, letters@globaltravelerusa.com. We’d love to see where you’ve been, and hope GT was beside you as you traversed the world.

In this issue we name the 2017 Airline of the Year and Hotel of the Year. Discover which companies claimed the top spot on page 39. We honor those who’ve won the same consecutive GT Tested Reader Survey award for five straight years with Quint Status. Which four deserve your congratulations? Turn to page 68. Our CEO Series returns with Rob Gurney of oneworld on page 20.

Continuing with our around-the-world theme, we’re also off to Jakarta; Doha; Portland, Ore.; Mumbai; Oslo; Rhodes; Tokyo; Colombia; and the Italian Riviera.

While we reflect on the year, we also look ahead. Beginning next month, we debut a new Tours column, and 2018 will expand on the themed issues launched in 2017, with a special Cruising Issue added to the roster. We can’t wait for another year of adventures with you!