5 Tips for Pitching Print Travel Magazines in 2024

Each month on Pitchcraft, I host live discussions with editors around a specific theme. March’s event focused on print travel magazines outside mainstream household names (no, print isn’t dead!). In fact, one writer guest on our event called this “the most uplifting Zoom I’ve had about travel in a while.” Editors from Business Traveler, Range and Virtuoso, The Magazine joined us for an interactive, hour-long conversation that included a moderated group discussion and breakout rooms, where our members had the chance to be part of intimate small groups with each editor.

Here are the top five takeaways from that discussion around pitching print travel magazines.

1. Consider how your pitch fits into big-picture travel trends.

Check to see if the publication you’re pitching publishes a trend report, and mention it if the angle you’re pitching ties into any of the items on the list. For example, Virtuoso produces an annual trend report in partnership with its advisors around the world.

Key travel trends our editors reported in Pitchcraft’s live event heading into spring 2024:

• Small ship cruising, first-time cruisers, cruise converts, cruises appealing to Gen Z

• Celebration travel

• Solo travel

• Celebration + solo travel combined

• Traveling to Europe during shoulder season

• Under-the-radar European destinations (beyond Italy, France and Spain) or second-city Europe (i.e., destination dupes)

• Off-the-beaten-track destinations

• Wellness experiences

• Sustainable and responsible travel is mainstream

To help Pitchcraft members stay in the know on the latest trends, we have a resident TikTok trends expert who reports weekly on the most viral themes to pitch around.

2. Plan on a lead time of three to six months.

Across the board, travel editors expressed that the earlier you pitch to get a story on a their radar, the better. All three publications in our discussion mentioned working on stories at least three to four months out for print stories, and a few weeks to several months for digital stories. They emphasized the importance of checking editorial calendars before pitching, as well.

Edit calendars for Virtuoso, The Magazine, Business Traveler, and Range can all be accessed within our master interactive editorial calendar for Pitchcraft members.

3. Know the audience you’re pitching.

Taking time to read past issues and familiarize yourself with the audience for a travel publication before pitching is paramount. Browsing media kits can reveal demographic information that can be important to a pitch. (For instance, if you know a publication’s audience is 70% male, a pitch about the hottest new bachelorette party destination will not be a fit.) Doing a quick Google search (publication name + how to pitch) can also tell you about nuances to know ahead of time.

A few additional tips that came from our live discussion: Virtuoso, The Magazine can not cover a hotel, cruise line or tour company that’s not part of the Virtuoso network. Range doesn’t rule out coverage of properties that aren’t among its preferred partners, but if it is, that information could warrant a bigger story. Business Traveler needs to have a business angle and not skew too remote or too leisure-focused. Proximity to major hubs, transportation time from airports and/or private planes access is important.

Our Pitchcraft community values collaboration over competition, encouraging members to share intelligence and tips on publications.

4. Ponder a partnership.

Brand collaborations among travel brands and between travel companies and other brands in the lifestyle space (i.e., fashion, beauty, fragrance) are huge right now. Partnerships are a smart way to not only reach a new audience, but also earn press coverage, especially for outlets like Business Traveler. For instance, Etihad Airways announced new amenity kits in collaboration with Giorgio Armani and ESPA. Another example outside the travel space: Bath & Body Works partnering with Netflix.

Collaborations need not be of this magnitude to be press worthy, however. A partnership in the works from two Pitchcraft members: A vow-writing company partnering with a luxury hotel in Nashville to offer an elopement package.

5. Think beyond the mainstream travel publications.

Editors of the most well-known travel magazines, or those sold on newsstands, receive a higher volume of pitches than those at more niche publications. Don’t overlook travel magazines published by travel brands (rather than major publishers) or luxury lifestyle publications that may not be branded as travel, but that cover the category frequently.

Challenge yourself to pitch outside the box by discovering one new outlet a week. Think of luxury brands or those with a high-net-worth clientele and do a Google search (brand name + magazine) to discover new or new-to-you niche publications. Many companies are rediscovering the power of print to reach customers and relaunching or expanding into print publications, such as the case with Range. Another tactic is to head to a flipbook browser such as Issuu to view publications searchable by category.

Our publication database within Pitchcraft champions niche outlets. We are constantly expanding this with new niche outlets searchable by topic, to include editor contact information and topics covered.

Share Your Thoughts: What’s a niche outlet covering travel that you’ve discovered recently? Share it with others in the comments.

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