Holiday and travel magazines
Holiday magazines and travel magazines in the UK have been strongly influenced by other media, with national and regional newspaper publishers and television programmes – through customer publishers – having strong positions in the field. The fact that more Britons are buying holiday homes abroad and making use of cheap flights has brought a significant property dimension to some travel magazines (see Buying Property magazines).However, holidays and travel can be a difficult sector. The BBC's Redwood publishing division tried to launch Holidays 89 in 1989 based on the BBC TV series of that name, but at the time it was the only title in the holiday magazines sector and folded. The company tried again with BBC Holidays a few years later and, although this met with more success, it, too, folded. Similarly, Emap Elan tried Escape Routes in 2001, but it only lasted for a few issues. See also the history of travel magazines page.
APL Media (Absolute Publishing)Contract publisher that specialises in travel and sports magazines:
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Anthem PublishingBath-based publisher with four magazines about Italy:
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Archant Life LtdMagazine publishing division of regional newspaper group had two travel magazines. Archant was taken over by Newsquest.
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BBC Magazines (see Immediate Media)The BBC had a mixed history of trying to publish magazines related to its travel programmes, with two early failures. Its latest attempt, Lonely Planet, triggered controversy in 2008. In 2011, BBC Magazines was taken over by Immediate Media.
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Brooklands Group (closed)Magazine group specialised in magazines based on the Channel 4 television series A Place in the Sun:
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Ceda CommunicationsHigh Life magazine is an in-flight customer magazine produced for British Airways by contract publisher Cedar. High Life is distributed on the airline's planes. Cedar has ISO 141001 quality accreditation for its environmental policies. Other travel clients include Heathrow Express and Thomson holidays.Cedar profile |
Condé Nast Publications LtdCondé Nast Traveller is a consumer magazine that aims to shrug off the poor reputation of much travel journalism. Condé Nast Traveler was founded in 1986 at US publisher Condé Nast by former Sunday Times and Times editor Harry Evans. He set Traveler out to be dedicated to ‘truth in travel’. Condé Nast Traveller was launched in the UK in 1997 by editor Sarah Miller. The strategy has been a success with the title establishing travel as a sector in newsagents (BBC Worldwide had failed with BBC Holidays magazine).Condé Nast Traveller pays for all its own flights and accommodation and has never 'knowingly' published something that is the result of a group press trip. Miller told a Guardian interviewer: '[A press trip] is uniform and controlled by the PR company,' she says. 'Travel isn't a controlled experience. It is what happens to you.’ Condé Nast Traveler has a policy of not accepting free trips, to ensure editorial independence.Condé Nast profile |
Green Pea PublishinPublishes Food and Travel, which was founded in 1977 and features photography and writing on food, wine and travel. |
Illustrated London News GroupIllustrated London News Group is a customer publisher that takes its name from the famous Victorian magazine (it owns the rights to its contents and still publishes a Christmas special). magazines include:
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Immediate Media (took over BBC Magazines)Immediate Media was formed from the businesses of BBC Magazines, Origin Publishing and Magicalia in 2011. The BBC's launch of Lonely Planet in 2008 triggered controversy with accusations of abusing its position in the market from other publishers.
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Merricks MediaMerricks Media was founded in 1998. It publishes magazines on travel and property and women’s lifestyle. The travel magazines cover property and lifestyle:
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myholidayideas.comTVTimes, IPC's weekly TV listings title, launched this travel website on 1 December 2006 to complement the magazine’s travel classified pages. It was edited by the magazine's deputy editor, Alison Gardner, and covered:
TVTimes promoted the site in a 10-week campaign to win
a holiday across 90 IPC magazines and websites. |
Panacea PublishingBusiness Traveller is the founding title for this publisher (formerly Perry Publishing), having grown to become the leading magazine for frequent business travellers since its launch in 1976. There are 10 issues a year. There are 10 regional editions, for the UK, US (1988), Asia-Pacific, China, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Hungary the Middle East and Africa. The website was developed in 2000 when the Daily Mail group's Euromoney owned 95% of Perry Publications, publishers of Business Traveller.In 1983, Business Traveller went into receivership but was bought out by Geoffrey Perry's Perry Publications. Two years later, it used adverts on Channel Four and Thames featuring David Frost to sell subscriptions. Links established with Germany enabled Perry to launch car magazines in the 1990s, by which time the company's managing director was Nick Perry. An article in FT Weekend magazine by Lesley Chamberlain described how Geoffrey Perry, who founded Business Traveller, 'shot and captured Britain's most famous wartime traitor William Joyce [Lord Haw-Haw], enabling him to be brought to trial' (28 February 2004 p22). Perry told the story in his book When Life Became History.Other related titles include:
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Poundbury PublishingCompany formed in 1994. Based in Dorchester, Dorset. Publishes three magazines, including Italy, devoted to the landscape, people, places, style, culture, food and drink, homes and gardens of the country. Italy magazine was launched in 2002 as a bimonthly, and went monthly with the June 2004 issue. It is sold in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Europe. Website was: poundbury.co.uk |
RCI PublishingHoliday Magazine for the holiday home timeshare exchange company of the same name. |
River GroupRiver is a customer publisher that launched Sunday Times Travel Magazine in 1993River profile |
Romsey PublishingA division of Archant ( above). Publishes In Britain, the official magazine of VisitBritain (formerly the British Tourist Authority) |
TLM MediaTLM – formerly Travel & Leisure Magazine – is a quarterly with 3,000 paid subscriptions and 40,000 copies distributed to upmarket homes in London and the south-east. Editor is the writer and photographer Peter Ellegard. Has a section inviting readers to send in holiday queries |
Tower Business Media'The definitive guide to living abroad' was how Overseas Living defined itself with coverage of travel, golf, hotels, yachts and property six times a year. The magazine was sold in newsagents and distributed at airports, hotels and conferences. World News Media was the overall holding company, which became TLM Media, and also publishes Business Destinations (also six times a year), Estates Review, European CEO, New Economy and World Finance |
United Business Media/DaltonsPrivate Villas is a monthly magazine for people who want to book independent holidays based in a villa. Founded in 1984 |
Wanderlust PublicationsWanderlust focuses on independent-minded and adventurous travellers. It was founded in 1993 by Paul Morrison and Lyn Hughes. It is published 8 times a year and many articles are carried on the website. By 2008, the title was half-owned by Hughes; John Brown; Mark Ellingham of Rough Guides; and Haymarket (25%) |
Travel and holiday magazines (2005) |
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Title | Publisher | Launch date | ABC sales Jan-Jul-2005* |
A Place in the Sun's Everything America | Brooklands | 19,306 | |
A Place in the Sun's Everything France | Brooklands | 2001 | 28,287 |
A Place in the Sun's Everything Spain | Brooklands | 19,182 | |
Abta Magazine | Absolute/Abta | 10,645 (free) |
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Australia & New Zealand Magazine | Merricks | 2005 | n/a |
BBC Holidays | BBC Enterprises | 1992 | closed 1995 |
Business Destinations | World News Media | 1995 | Readership of 32,715 cited by publisher |
Business Traveller | Panacea Publishing | 1976 | 53,451 (2010, UK edition) |
Buying Business Travel | Panacea Publishing | 41,000 readers cited by publisher |
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Condé Nast Traveller | Condé Nast | 1987 | 83,305 |
Escape Routes | Emap Elan | 1999 | closed 2001 |
Florida Magazine | Merricks | 2005 | n/a |
France (North America) |
Archant Life | 17,752 | |
Food and Travel | Green Pea | 1977 | n/a |
France UK | Archant Life | 24,910 | |
French Magazine | Merricks | 2002 | n/a |
Greece Magazine | Merricks | n/a | |
High Life | Cedar | 1973 | 206,723 (free) |
Holiday Magazine | RCI | 212,493 (free) |
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Homes Worldwide | Merricks | 2002 | n/a |
In Britain | Romsey (Archant) | 43,575 | |
Interval | ILN/Interval International | 83,317 (free) |
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Italian Magazine | Merricks | 2004 | n/a |
Italy | Poundbury | 2002 | n/a |
Livewire | ILN/GNER | 109,017 (free) |
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Lonely Planet | BBC Worldwide | 2008 | n/a |
Myholidayideas.com | IPC | 1 December 2006 | n/a |
Orient-Express Magazine | ILN/Orient Express | 71,258 (free) |
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Overseas Living | Tower Business Media | Readership of 49,524 cited by publisher |
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Portugal Magazine | Merricks | 2003 | n/a |
Private Villas | United Advertising | 1982 | 5,463 |
Spanish Magazine | Merricks | 2003 | n/a |
Sunday Times Travel Magazine | River | 61,135 | |
TLM | TLM Media Ltd | 3,000 subs; 50,000 free to upmarket households (publisher's statement) |
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Wanderlust | Wanderlust | 1993 | not divulged |
*Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) | Back to top |