What Our Readers Like

Presenting the First Annual "Henry Awards,"
honoring those departments in this newsletter that our readers liked the best.

The "Henry" is an award based on pure, unadulterated popularity. Named after the great traveling Henrys of history (Henry Hudson, Prince Henry the Navigator, Henry Higgins -- who went where no man had gone before), the Henry is awarded to those articles and features that readers liked the best in our online newsletter over the past year.

Tracking winners was simple: We noted which articles and departments readers accessed the most over the past 12 months, both in terms of visits and time spent there. Articles coming in at the top of both criteria won a Henry. 

The Henry Awards are a no-cost, no-key program. Winning articles receive nothing in recognition, other than an asterisk * beside their title in our archives indicating that they were a hit with readers. Readers, whose votes are automatic (and anonymous), receive the simple joy of knowing they've made some articles' existence a little more meaningful.

This year's results (visit archives to see all the past year's articles):

Top Festivals:

1) Verona's Opera festival
2) Octoberfest 2000
3) Mevlana Festival of the Whirling Dervishes

Top World Heritage Sites:

1) The Jurisdiction of St.Emillion
2) Palau de la Musica Catalana
3) The Isle of Patmos

Top Museums

1) The Vatican Museum
2) Culinary Archives and Museum
3) California State Railroad Museum

Top Stories:

1) "Why Use Travel Agents,"
    Sheri Leigh, Cultural Travels, Apr. 2001
2) "The McEwan's 80/- Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour,"
    Moira Burgess, The Scottish Literary Tour Company, Sep. 2000
3) "Broadway: America's Cultural Engine,"
    Peter Royston, Theatre Direct, Nov 2000

Overall Category Winners:

1) News Stories
2) Festivals
3) World Heritage Sites

Overall Site Winners:

1) The Cultured Traveler Newsletter
2) Theme Searches (top-3: Culinary, Art and History)
3) Destination Searches (top-3: Europe, Middle East and Asia)

Note: Many "experts" consider theme searches to be less relevant than "Where do you want to go?" of destination searches. However, our Theme and Destination searches were nearly a dead heat and not that far behind Newsletter accesses. Once again, CulturalTravels.net's readers defy the conventional wisdom.