Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Afar Entry Title: AFAR Magazine Entry Credit: Julia Cosgrove Judge Comment: Afar goes the distance through storytelling that toggles between practical and transcendent, whether guiding readers along the Rhine River or coaxing them into “Travel That Changes You.” A blend of lush photography, stunning design and intelligent reportage makes Afar a one-stop shop for modern — and socially conscious — travelers. Afar stays grounded in the times; it’s where readers learn that Paris is among the most LBGTQ-friendly cities in the world; that the village of Shela, on the southeastern coast of Kenya, is essentially car-free free; that Martha’s Vineyard is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ’70s blockbuster “Jaws” with a tour of sites where the movie was filmed.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Southbound Entry Title: Southbound Entry Credit: Kevin Benefield, Cristina Hazar, Sara McCabe, Allison Entrekin, Emma Hunt Judge Comment: Below the Mason-Dixon line, Southbound boasts all the right fixins: from features on museums and restaurateurs from Alabama to Kentucky to side trips to lesser-known architectural gems. Timely celebrity profiles (think Dollywood, grand dame Dolly Parton’s Eastern Tennessee rollercoaster and resort) add gravitas to the menu. But Southbound’s special sauce is in the potluck — the interesting people and cultures, whether it’s the Louisiana chef who won hearts on “Top Chef” season 11 or the Mississippi entrepreneur, inspired by a visit to New York City’s FAO Schwartz, who opened his retro-toy store in Ocean Springs, reshaping the region.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Travel + Leisure Entry Title: Travel + Leisure Entry Credit: Jacqueline Gifford Judge Comment: Travel + Leisure’s dazzling photography, breezy storytelling and a restless eye for detail are standard bearers in travel journalism. Whether hanging out at a pig farm in Kentucky, driving an E.V. across the Berkshires or dining in the Arctic, T+L is a perennially reliable travel companion. While its hefty 2023 “World’s Best Awards” issue — chockfull of reviews on everything from hotels to cruise lines — is an instant classic, don’t overlook its small but mighty tales, such as how central Italy’s food culture has fared in the aftermath of several earthquakes.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: OLTRE Entry Title: OLTRE Entry Credit: Brad A. Johnson, Devin Duckworth Judge Comment: OLTRE has quickly lived up to its Italian “above and beyond” translation. Unabashedly stylish, youthful and global, OLTRE is a gem to luxury travelers circling, as the magazine boasts in its 2023 launch, “the globe from North Pole to the South Pole with stops in London, Mykonos, Bangkok, California and all points between.”
