Each year the plans for the following year’s issues of Global Traveler begin percolating in January . . . or even earlier. Discussions about whether new features or columns should be added, which current ones should be dropped or tweaked occur, with input solicited from the publisher, the sales executives, editorial staff — virtually everyone on the staff as well as suggestions from our contributing writers and Globility advisory board. An editorial calendar maps out the subject matter for each of the columns (Health, Wine & Spirits, Chefs, Airport Update, Cruises, LGBTQ) as well as the Destination articles (Destination One, Stateside, 9–5, Bucket List, Kicking Back, etc.).

Many factors play into these choices. Certain issues, such as the Green Issue or the Wine Issue, call for a certain theme which should carry across all of the pieces, while others focus on special GT-sponsored awards or events. For instance, the August issue traditionally announces the winners of our Wines on the Wing competition, while December celebrates our GT Tested Awards recipients. The fascinating — and sometimes frustrating — aspect comes in determining which locations to cover.

Editor in chief Kim Krol keeps an eye on a balanced representation from the four corners of the world — at least six of the seven continents — as well as established metropolises countered with up-and-coming markets. For leisure destinations, a mix of sun and snow comes into play along with considerations of urban fun playing off of off-the-beaten-track locations. It’s all a bit of a juggling act combined with the art of prognostication: What will be the new hot spots? Where will our readers want to go, and what information will be of most interest to them? What areas previously roiled by conflict or natural disaster will be ready for rebirth, and which ones now stable may be heading into challenging or even dangerous times?

The last bit is, as you would imagine, the trickiest part for, as Robert Burns wrote, “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley.” As we have seen just in the past few months, lush and lovely locales can be ravaged by the forces of Mother Nature, and cultural and political upheavals can plunge peaceful regions into dangerous conflict. This is not to say that Global Traveler will not cover these stories, but an article written a few months before publication may suddenly contain obsolete information or inaccurately represent a new reality. What it does mean is that that carefully crafted editorial calendar sees several revisions over the course of a year as current events warrant.

A perfect example this year of some necessary agility and flexibility is a planned Destination One article on Havana, Cuba. With the easing of travel and trade restrictions in 2016, interest in leisure travel and business opportunities in Cuba had grown, and our July 2017 issue was pegged for an in-depth look at the capital city. With the change of administrations in January and talk of perhaps tightening up regulations, by spring it was decided that we would postpone the piece until November when, it was hoped, U.S.-Cuba relations would be more clearly drawn and we could provide an accurate perspective. Then on Sept. 29, as we were wrapping up the November issue and a beautiful and informative article on Havana was ready for the press, the U.S. Department of State issued a travel warning for Cuba, advising U.S. citizens to avoid travel there due to concerns about sonic attacks affecting the health and well-being of diplomatic personnel and U.S. citizens. With the ramifications of this development still unfolding, we once again decided we needed to pull the article.

Without another Destination One article ready to go and our deadline just a few days away, we chose to expand our feature articles in November and omit the D1 article. So when you next pick up an issue of Global Traveler and scan the list of destinations on the cover and read through the articles and columns and admire the lovely photographs, you’ll have a little more insight into all the thought, planning — and sometimes rapid tap dancing! — that goes into its production.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor