Premium parking

Chapter 3 of the text discusses “Destination” as a major story type to reach the audience for travel journalism. The chapter includes a quote from Paul Theroux which states,

Today, the destination story means looking for places that have changed, or places to visit in a new way.

Following that notion, Matt Bolton, of NewYorkTimes.com, writes an article for the New York Times online travel section about the recent discovery of King Richard III’s skeleton under a local English parking lot. Here’s a tidbit from Bolton’s article:

Since Feb. 4, when researchers from the University of Leicester announced that a skeleton found during an archaeological dig at the parking lot in September 2012 was indeed that of Richard III, a monarch immortalized by Shakespeare, Mr. Jones [security] has been fending off hundreds of curious visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the deep trench where the skeleton was found. (It is just visible from the gates, toward the far end of the parking lot and is covered with a white tent.)

Here’s what is good about this article: Bolton delivers to the reader historical information and implications of this archeological find without beating the reader over the head with an encyclopedia. Bolton also gives the reader a sense of how insignificant the parking lot used to be before the historical discovery versus the thousands of new visitors who now bombard the area to get a clear view of the newly significant area.

Travel journalists can look at this article for it use of information gathered by several research methods including observation, interview, and secondary materials to convey a compelling, informative Destination story. Bolton also directs readers to websites and downloadable content if he or she wants to get more information. The author also does a good job of incorporating several viewpoints on the one subject of the archeological discovery giving the reader the sense that he has a complete account of what the area and the surrounding citizens are like.