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Editor's Corner
Welcome to the latest edition of The Travel PR
Report. When we were editing this issue we had
so much information packed into it that we decided to
turn it into two issues. Our followup issue will focus
on special events marketing.
Once upon a time, when I started in PR, press
trips were
the way to go if you wanted publicity. Today,
that may no longer be the case. We'll give you the first
five of ten tips on
what you should know about press trips.
This
edition's "meet the editor" interviews Norie
Quintos,
senior editor, National Geographic
Traveler, with helpful
tips on how to get more ink.
We have some trends and other tidbits we hope you'll
find useful. Lastly, we look forward to your comments
and feedback.
Happy reading,
Linda R. Kundell
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Press trips: five tips for trips |
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Whether inviting a group
of press or
an individual press person to sample your
trip, hotel, or
other offering, here are some guidelines to
consider.
See the first five of ten tips below, and look
for the second five
tips in our next issue.
- The big publications in general will not
accept press trips, nor will many of them
accept articles
from writers on press trips. So you
generally will be
looking at secondary markets, but people from
those
markets do travel!
- For each writer who accepts a press
trip you
normally have to invite 4 (read: to get 8
people on a trip
you would need to invite 30+).
- Most writers expect air fare included
with the
invitation, and sometimes they are not coming
from
major cities. Ask yourself if you are
prepared to provide
an airline ticket, and if so, can you provide
from various
gateways? Some writers also expect business
class.
- Some writers want to bring a spouse or
significant other, so set your policy on
travel companions
early and either allow everyone to bring one
or no one to
bring one.
- Don't double up on accommodations and
expect a writer to share a room with another
writer. Each
should have his or her own cabin.
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Meet the Media: National Geographic Traveler |
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Norie Quintos is a senior editor at National
Geographic
Traveler, where she edits the front-of-book
department "Smart Traveler," which highlights
consumer
trends and issues of interest to the leisure traveler.
She
also edits consumer-oriented features, including the
annual "Tours of a Lifetime" section, which selects 50
of
the best small, guided tours around the world.
Q: How important are "green" issues to the
publication?
As a younger sister publication (we're only 24 years
old)
to the venerable National Geographic, covering green
issues is part of our DNA and we have long been a
leader
in telling our readers about places with sustainable
travel
practices. We are equally interested in helping our
readers find authenticity and sense of place in an
increasingly homogenized world.
Q: Is there a trend in travel reporting?
Travelers are looking for authentic places. They want
to
travel sustainably, yet comfortably. They aren't
necessarily looking for the hippest, or the most
luxurious.
We've delivered that for years, and many magazines
are
now following our lead.
Q: What in your opinion makes a good press
release? (and what kind of information don't you
want?)
Put your news in the subject header of the email. No
need for fancy graphics in the email itself. Just the
facts.
Research the outlet to whom you are sending the
release. For example, we are never interested that
there
is a new general manager at a hotel, nor are we
interested in news about meetings and conventions. If
you are sending me releases that are consistently not
right for our publication, I will put a block on them. If
you
are telling me about a trend, list some other places
(even
if they are competitors) to back up your assertion.
Q: What kinds of information are you looking for?
As the editor of the news section, I am interested in
travel
news as it relates to the consumer, trends, products,
consumer advice. As the editor of the annual Tours of
a
Lifetime project, I am interested in news and trends
about
tour outfitters.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
Are there controversial issues in the travel industry
that
should be covered or that the travel consumer should
know about? P.R. people rarely send out press
releases
on these types of issues, but they may make a good
story. I'm interested.
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Trends |
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More travelers are
finding
travel insurance
worthwhile
According to a survey conducted for our
client, the US
Travel Insurance Association, Americans
traveling on
leisure trips spend more than $1.3 billion on
travel
insurance. In 2006 more than 67 million
people were
covered by a variety of travel-related
insurance and
emergency assistance services from UStiA member
companies.
Per trip package policies including trip
cancellation/interruption coverage were by
far the
most
popular, accounting for 77% of total sales.
Most
people
who bought travel insurance were going to the
Caribbean, Europe and the U. S. respectively.
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Tidbits |
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In 2007 Americans may have been saving
at
home, but surprisingly they spent more abroad
Although the U.S. economy was weak in 2007,
according
to the US Dept of Commerce Office on Travel and
Tourism, U.S. travelers set records for 2007
travel
spending in: Mexico, Germany, Japan, Italy,
China,
Hong
Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, Netherlands,
Argentina,
and South Africa.
Does trendy sell when it comes to
hotels?
Barry Sternlicht, creator of Starwood
Hotels,
is
quoted in Luxury Travel 360 newsletter
talking about
lifestyle brand hotels, such as W hotels. "One
problem
with being that 'edgy' is that really hip
people are
always
changing hotels to stay in the hottest ones."
He said
that
in his tenure at Starwood, "Turning around
Westin
was
more important financially than creating W."
reprinted by permission of
Luxury
Travel 360
Budget Travel performs
Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel
magazine hit a
home
run with their "40 Best" feature in their
June 2007
issue.
According to a study by Affinity Research,
this article
ranked among top editorial features for all
magazines
in
the second quarter of 2007. Eighty-three
percent of
subscribers were interested enough to look at
the
article,
and of those who looked at it, 82 percent
read more
than
half. The kicker, however, is, based on the
article, 93%
of
readers were inspired to either visit a
related website,
share the article with a friend, or tuck it
away for future
use.
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Refer a Colleague |
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If you enjoy this issue, feel free to share
it with a
colleague. If you're not already a
subscriber, it's
easy and it's free.
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About Us |
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Kundell Communications provides a wide range of
public relations and marketing communications
programs to the travel, tourism and lifestyle
industries, from targeted local efforts to
nationwide
multimedia campaigns. A training division
offers
seminars in public relations and public speaking
techniques. The firm brings more than 30 years
experience and a roster of top-quality
professionals.
Contact us at 646-495-5300 or 212-877-2798, e-
mail
Kundellcom@nyc.rr.com or
Linda@kundellcommunications.com
Editor: Laura Michonski
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