Observer Launches New Travel Magazine

The Observer is to publish a special one-off travel magazine, with the backing of an advertising campaign from Mother, early in the new year.

The sixty-eight page tabloid size glossy colour magazine will be in the same vein as Observer Sport Monthly and Observer Food Monthly. There has already been speculation that the magazine will become a regular item, but a spokesperson for the Observer said that there are currently no plans for a follow up.

The magazine will be edited by Observer travel editor, Jeannette Hyde and will offer readers “an insight into novel, luxurious and unusual destinations to visit.” The magazine is also set to contain practical advice on how to get the most from your holiday time.

Travel supplements and magazines have proved to be a popular growth area for publishing houses and newspaper groups and some commentators have warned the market is heading for saturation point. The Sunday Times recently announced that it is launching a stand-alone news-stand magazine as an extension of its travel section (see Sunday Times Launches Glossy Travel Magazine). Meanwhile, the Telegraph is to publish a travel magazine supplement in January 2003. However, this is an annual occurrence and January is traditionally a popular time to plan holidays, so perhaps talk of an overcrowded market is overblown.

Observer: 020 7278 2332 www.observer.co.uk

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