Virtuoso Life - January/February 2009 - (Page 21) CONTRIBUTORS “The question isn’t ‘Does sustainable tourism work?’ – it does – but rather, ‘How can we use it as a catalyst for protecting the natural and cultural heritage of our planet?’” says writer COSTAS CHRIST (“Go Green,” page 54). The debut of his Virtuoso Life column adds to his extensive experience with the topic, which spans more than two decades and 126 countries, and dates back to the dawn of the movement itself. Christ is National Geographic Adventure’s global travel editor and the chairman of judges for the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. Photographer QUENTIN BACON (cover and “Madrid’s Moment,” page 108) relocated from his native Australia to NYC in 1997 to shorten flight times on European assignments. For this issue, he went to Spain. “I’d been to Barcelona many times, but not Madrid,” he says. “I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a fabulous city with unbelievably friendly people – and I never had a bad cup of coffee there.” Bacon’s work has appeared in Food & Wine, Gourmet, and Town & Country, among other publications. Photographer BOB STEFKO (“Northern Exposures,” page 94) contemplated jumping ship in Scandinavia to stay a little longer. “Between the great food, stylish people, and bicycle-friendly roads, it was truly tough not to call some of those historic cities home for a while,” he says. When not daydreaming about leaving Chicago for another country, Stefko shoots for magazines such as Forbes, People, and Fast Company. He recently completed three books on travel and food for publisher Globe Pequot and Midwest Living. Seattle-based writer ALI BASYE (“Essence of Paris,” page 84) can’t visit Paris often enough. “It’s a graceful old dame,” she says, “but it’s also a contemporary city, with progressive art and restaurants alongside the classics – and Vélib, the most impressive citywide cycling program that I’ve seen around the world.” Basye is the editor of Seattle Bride, writes about travel, fashion, and style for Los Angeles and Sunset magazines, and is the author of The Long (and Short) of It: The Madcap History of the Skirt. PETER GREENBERG (“Emerging Europe,” page 74) relishes off-the-beaten-path locales: “That’s how you discover great places, but even more important, that’s when you have great experiences,” he says. “Now, with the dollar going further in Europe, these destinations are more of a win-win on every level.” Greenberg is the travel editor for NBC’s Today show and the author of the Travel Detective series, the latest of which is Don’t Go There! The Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World. J A N U A RY | F E B R U A RY 2 0 0 9 21
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