The June 8th travel section of the New York Times ran no less than three articles on different aspects of what National Geographic calls geo tourism. “Back to Nature and Ready for Guests,” featured birding in the Great Plains of North Dakota. No mind that the article also mentioned bison hunting, the article’s pull quote read, “Wildlife has made a comeback; bring on the eco-tourists.”

The “Choice Tables” article focused on Aspen’s food and wine festival, noting, “Chefs build menus on what the region’s farmers produce.” Another piece pictured kayakers passing through a mangrove tunnel in the Everglades.

Journalists are always looking for a good story, or a new hook to an old story. Heading into summer, it’s a good time to think about next winter. What might catch the attention of travel writers? Once you answer that question, let the California Travel and Tourism Commission help you reach journalists worldwide.

The commission publishes a quarterly newsletter, “What’s New in California, which it distributes to over 3,000 domestic and international media representatives. The deadline for submissions for the Winter edition is September 12, 2008.

The summer 2008 edition of “What’s New” featured the Tall Ships Challenge, “a series of races at sea . . all punctuated by grand festivals in the host port cities where the races begin and end.” It also highlighted new art shows at various galleries, and summer events and festivals.

• Central Coast photographers are featured at the Black and White Gallery in Atascadero, and Carmel-by-the-Sea brings together art and fashion.
• The Humboldt County CVB promoted the completion of the Hammond Coastal Trail and “its stunning natural beaches. The 5.5-mile stretch is the premier multiuse trail in this region, and was voted by locals as the best place to hike, bike or jog.”
• The Armenian Museum of Fresno is coordinating a year-long celebration of “Fresno’s most colorful and talented native sons—William Saroyan (1908–1981).”
• In the High Sierra, “step back in time as you explore the historic Gold Cliff Mine located in Angels Camp” with Gold Cliff Adventure.

The newsletter has a separate section for the seven regions of northern California–Shasta Cascade, the North Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Central Valley, the Gold Country, High Sierra, and Central Coast region. Southern California is divided into Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, the Inland Empire, and the deserts.

Amanda Moreland, who edits “What’s New”, asks folks to keep their submissions under 200 words, and include full contact information of the sponsoring business or organization.

Contact:

Amanda Moreland, amoreland@visitcalifornia.com, 916/319-5427

[1] “What’s New,” California Travel and Tourism Commission