As I sit to write this letter, we’re fresh off the return of our Wines on the Wing airline wine survey — our last blind judging and afterparty was held in 2020, and 2024 seemed the perfect year to bring back the only such tasting of its kind hosted in the United
States. It was a success, with the blind tasting, featuring some of New York City’s most preeminent wine experts as judges, in the afternoon, followed by an evening reception for those in the industry, allowing them a behind-the-scenes glimpse (and sip!) at our
process. It also brought us back to City Winery, which played host to two previous surveys. Hear more from the founder of City Winery in this issue — I’m excited for the company’s upcoming Milk Factory hotel in New York’s Hudson Valley. And while we’re on the subject of wine, we also take a bucket-list trip to wine taste in Portugal with Steve Jermanok in this issue.

Join us in August to find out which airlines came out on top in our Wines on the Wing airline wine survey. Speaking of winners, welcome to our Leisure Travel Issue, featuring the announcement of the honorees in our 12th annual Leisure Travel Awards. Did you vote? And if so, do your favorites appear on the following pages? Join us on May 16 in Philadelphia at the historic Union League to fete these leisure travel superstars. As we move toward summer, where will your leisure travels take you? If it’s to Europe, you won’t want to miss Barbara Rogers’s report on the continent’s best beaches in this issue.

© Kimberly Inlander

April’s solar eclipse was a boon for leisure travel, with many flocking to the states experiencing totality. Here in Pennsylvania, we achieved about 90 percent totality. Associate editor Aoife O’Riordan was visiting our headquarters on April 8 and joined me and Mary Melnick, social media and editorial coordinator, for a viewing party outside our office. Have you previously planned leisure travel around an event like the solar eclipse, and did you travel for this year’s milestone? We’d love to hear more about your experiences at letters@globaltravelerusa.com.

What else does this Leisure Travel Issue deliver? We’re in Croatia, Bali, Vietnam, Aruba and Costa Rica. We also dig deeper into the bleisure trend, looking at how people combine business and leisure travel. We’ll see you in June with reports on loyalty programs, the world’s best shopping streets and what goes into becoming an Olympic host city.

Kimberly Inlander, Editor-in-chief