Is it possible to have a favorite section of
Business Traveler? Personally, I fell in love with the magazine with the first issue that I read, and I was crazy about all the features. But as the new publisher, I learned that the favorite section for many of our 150,000 readers is the 4-Hour guide. I was certainly curious to learn more about why our readers rely so heavily on this feature.
So for the past month, I spent as much time as I could reviewing your many letters so I might learn how the 4-Hour guide benefits you in your travels.
The loyal readers of Business Traveler take a massive 30 round trips a year. Often they’re in places that are somewhat unfamiliar or totally unknown to them, and there’s just a short amount of free time between, after or before meetings. That’s when they reach for the 4-Hour guides.
The 4-Hour guides give our readers the confidence to turn off CNN, leave their hotel rooms and explore the sights. They’re current, reader-friendly and very easy to follow. They tell our readers where to go, how to get there and they throw in some geography, art and history along the way. Some readers even feel the 4-Hour guides help their relationships with clients, who are impressed that they’ve taken the trouble to see so much of the city in a short time.
And, it’s no surprise that the 4-Hour guides are a great benefit to our readers’ personal travels as well. After a four-hour taste of the city, it’s easy to decide if you want to come back and spend more time. So many readers have stories of how a 4-Hour guide helped their business and leisure travel experiences, that it was clear to me just how very critical a feature this really is.
Eva Leonard, our editor in chief, and her editorial team, are the best in the travel business, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the 2007 4-Hour Guide roundup that you’re about to read will make your trips more enjoyable and more fulfilling. This year’s 4-Hour Guide is sponsored by Korean Air. I’m thrilled to be writing my first publisher’s letter as an introduction to Business Traveler’s sixth annual 4-Hour Guide supplement. It’s a keeper.
Linda Vaughan
Publisher
linda@varquin.com
