AS WE CLOSE THE FEBRUARY ISSUE and look forward to warmer weather here on the East Coast, I am reminded this marks the beginning of the 15th year of publishing Global Traveler. Fifteen is a magical number; little did I know in 2004 we would reach such great successes and milestones. I cannot tell you all the places I traveled over the past 15 years (and where I have yet to go), let alone what trips the entire staff here at FXExpress Publications, Inc. enjoyed.

We continue to extend the brand identity, adding millennial and family travel to our cache of editorial products. You are probably tired of hearing me praise Global Traveler, globaltravelerusa.com, trazeetravel.com and whereverfamily.com, but I am proud of the success.

When we launched GT, we were the true underdog in the industry, but over the years we became the consistent true source for real travelers of all kinds. Make sure you check out this issue’s solo travel article. I can identify with people who want to just go and not negotiate with others about where to go, but they need to know which places are safe or offer the best value.

I recall a trip to Turkey more than 20 years ago when a couple we were to travel with backed out at the last minute. We went anyway and had the time of our lives exploring ancient Roman ruins and floating in the Mediterranean. So get up and go, solo or not. Sometimes you have to “kick a little” to get people to come with you — just take charge!

We believe in listening to our readers; sometimes a spark of an idea becomes a new product. Both Trazee Travel and WhereverFamily evolved in response to readers’ desires. Often we create the desire, reminding our clients families travel with all different ages and different modes and classes of travel to different places around the world. We listen further to readers’ opinions of the best in travel through the reader surveys for each platform, including our newest award, Cruise Line of the Year. We add this award to the Airline of the Year and Hotel of the Year awards we’ve recognized for the past seven years, won most recently by American Airlines and Lotte Hotels.

Thank you for your continued support, travel and readership. Enjoy the spring, and happy St. Valentine’s Day!