FROM THE EDITOR
Bob Rouse
Editor
101 Prosperous Place, Suite 350
Lexington, KY 40509 USA
+1.859.264.6548
[email protected]
Where in the World is
HAPPY JUNE to half of you.
I say that after digesting NTA’s most recent communications
survey, which revealed detailed information about Courier
readership. As I obsessed read over the numbers, I learned
that a whopping 77 percent of NTA members read this
magazine. That’s humbling.
I was further humbled when I saw that 50.6 percent read
the editor’s letter—this page. I should be flattered, given that
a mere 20 percent of people in the United States pick up a
newspaper. But 50 percent, compared to 77 percent, seems
like a steep drop-off.
Still, the report is impressive. Two-thirds of you read the
Compass and What’s On sections, which detail member desti-
nations and tour product. And an almost equal percentage of
you read the business section, which is a pleasant surprise.
And sure, a lot of members read this page—including you, I
know—so I’m thinking I could take a page from NTA Chair Jay
Smith’s “Just Bring One” book and ask that you implore just
one non-reader to peruse this letter. (Just Force One!) That
would bring me to 100 percent.
In the meantime, you can read about Jay’s recruitment
campaign on page 17.
I know that a very high percentage of you will want to read
this issue’s big feature on national parks, starting on page 20,
Prior to attending Destination Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.,
NTA’s Kami Risk (left) and Doug Rentz connected with
Newseum’s Roxana Rivera, who is holding the Courier
issue that spotlights the Distinguished Dozen gold winners,
including … Newseum!
with senior writer Pat Henderson as your skillful guide. Pat
also gives us a la-la-lavish look at Los Angeles, shining in the
City Spotlight on pages 26–29.
And the popular Compass section includes Gabe Webb’s
exploration of the U.S. Deep South, on pages 32–38, and the
Mid-Atlantic U.S. states, on pages 40–46. You can also take a
trip through Latin America, pages 48–49, and over to Italy on
page 50.
I mentioned the well-read business section earlier. I think
you’ll enjoy “Partners in prime time,” a story about your NTA
colleagues who have teamed up to make Travel Exchange and
Contact more engaging. It starts on page 14.
Look, I don’t want you to think I’m all wrapped up in
this 50 percent thing. The glass is half-full, right? And who
knows—maybe the stat really means that every NTA member
reads this page … with one eye covered. That’s probably it.
Write on,
June Courier Destination Index
Alabama 36 Michigan 24
Alaska 22 Montana 22
Argentina 48 Nevada 18
Costa Rica 48 New Jersey 42
Delaware 40 New York 44
Ecuador 48 Florida 19, 37 Newfoundland
& Labrador 25
Georgia 32 Pennsylvania 31, 46
Indiana 24 Peru 48
Italy 50 Québec 21
Los Angeles 26–29 Texas 34
Louisiana 34 West Virginia 60
Maryland 42 Wisconsin 24
Mexico 49 Wyoming 60
4
June 2017
?
On the cover:
Hundreds of miles of hiking
trails wind through Montana’s
Glacier National Park, taking
visitors to scenic spots such
as 5,395-foot Tinkham Peak.
Photo: NPS/Jacob W. Frank