Happy New Year and welcome to our January issue, the first of 2026! It’s actually been a few years since we’ve had a solo January issue, and we’re excited to reintroduce it as well as bring you our first-ever Business Travel Issue. We’re off to a rip-roaring start to the year!

As you flip through the following pages, you’ll notice this issue looks a bit different than most. In order to deliver as much content as possible to interest frequent business travelers and entrepreneurs, we opted to bring you all features on topics of utmost importance to this travel segment. What can you expect from this issue?

Richard Newton shares more on some of the world’s top business travel cities, while Debra Bokur offers advice on how to leave a large company and make a go of it on your own. Discover Jillian Dara’s five tips for fighting jet lag and Kristy Alpert’s tricks and trade secrets for packing light. Amanda Mactas offers insight for choosing the best restaurants while traveling, and Katie McElveen reminds us why working out and wellness on the road are so important. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (typed while staring outside at 5-plus inches of mid-December snowfall!).

© Kimberly Inlander

I took a page out of Wendy Helfenbaum’s book (learn more in her article about bringing family on business trips on page 42) last month when my family overnighted in New York City with our cousin’s family to celebrate my twin niece and nephew turning 10. For their first visit to the Big Apple, we took in as much as we could, and I was able to plan some aspects of the trip thanks to press releases and other announcements I received in my work inbox, like our visit to Central Park’s Wollman ice-skating rink. We had a great time during our visit and highly recommend booking tickets with access to the Chill Lounge, featured in my photo this month.

This month Wollman Rink teams up with Guinness World Records in an attempt to break the record for world’s largest ice-skating lesson on Friday, Jan. 10 at 1 p.m., as part of its celebratory 75th anniversary season. The previous record was set at 523 skaters in 2014. The rink is calling on New Yorkers and other travelers to fill the rink and join a 30-minute lesson of simple skating skills, led by instructors.

This issue also coincides with another first-ever: Our 2026 Entrepreneurial & Business Travel Symposium at Union League of Philadelphia, Jan. 20–21. Please join us to discuss topics such as the effect of AI on the traveler and the industry, the value of travel, and so much more. It’s guaranteed to be a fascinating few days of conversation.

We’re just getting started in 2026 with an exciting calendar of topics and destinations. Join us next month for our Wave Issue — consider this your reminder the coming months will deliver some of the best cruise deals available all year, so don’t delay on booking your next cruise. Let’s go, 2026!

Kimberly Inlander, editor in chief