16 May 2013
New Quarterly magazine supported by Monthly Online Newsletter and destinations website: www.countrybycountry.com
ABTA Magazine is moving to a new quarterly frequency, as part of a multi-platform strategy, which will also see the launch of a monthly online newsletter and a destination-focused website, Countrybycountry.com, to complement the ABTA Members’ Handbook.
From May, all ABTA Magazine’s traditional destination formats will migrate online onto CountrybyCountry.com, as well as new features such as a weekly blog and travel essentials for every tourist destination.
Glen Mutel, Associate Editor, said: “Just as travel agents and tour operators have adjusted to a multi-channel world, so have we. The combination of a printed quarterly, an online newsletter and CountrybyCountry.com will give us the flexibility and freedom to cover a broad range of travel issues as comprehensively as possible, and to reach more readers than ever in the process.”
Mark Tanzer, ABTA’s Chief Executive, said: “Through our partnership with Absolute Publishing, ABTA Magazine has been providing the travel industry with news, features and destination information at no cost to the Association or our Members for over 16 years. By moving to a new quarterly printed publication, together with a new monthly online newsletter and a destination-focused website, our Members will have the opportunity to tap into a range of useful travel industry information in different formats.”
The magazine: The refocused 36-page quarterly magazine will take a more analytical view of the travel industry, combining the latest news from ABTA with special reports, company profiles and reviews. It will continue to be accompanied by dedicated pull-out guides devoted to specific destinations, regions or themes. The May issue feature a 100-page dedicated guide to China and a 12-page guide to Botswana.
CountrybyCountry.com: Launched in association with ABTA — The Travel Association, this is a free online, user-friendly resource for ABTA Members and the travel industry. In addition to regularly updated destination features and classic features from past issues of ABTA Magazine, it will also offer detailed information on almost every tourist destination, including maps, facts, tips and recommendations. It will be accessible via ABTA.com as well as being a standalone site.
Countrybycountry.com complements the ABTA Members’ Handbook — published by Absolute Publishing — a previously exclusive trade title with a print history dating back over a decade. The site was built in response to customer feedback requesting online access to the print edition.
The online newsletter: This will be sent out monthly, and will feature the latest from the magazine, plus a summary of news from ABTA’s weekly e-newsletter, ABTA Today, and links to new posts on the CountrybyCountry,com website.
The people: Glen Mutel becomes Associate Editor for the ABTA titles, with direct responsibility for ABTA Magazine, Supplements and the WTM Dailies. Nicky Trup will deputise across all ABTA Magazine titles.
Sonia Soltani is to become Content Editor for the ABTA titles, heading up CountrybyCountry.com along with Project Assistant Halima Ali, and also heading up ABTA Golf.
Notes to editors:
ABTA Magazine, ABTA’s official trade publication, is produced by Absolute Publishing Ltd. It will move to a quarterly frequency from May 2013. The magazine is entirely funded by advertising, and is produced at no cost to ABTA Members.
ABTA Magazine is distributed on a named basis to all ABTA Members — comprised of travel agents and tour operators. It’s also distributed to all UK tourist board offices and the head offices of ABTA Travel Industry Partners, as well as to leading companies in sectors such as hotels, aviation, cruise, rail and car rental. Its readership is in excess of 55,000 travel professionals in the UK and Ireland.
Absolute Publishing also produces spin-off titles ABTA Golf, the ABTA Members Handbook and ABTA Magazine, The Dailies.
Other travel and lifestyle titles produced by Absolute Publishing Ltd include National Geographic Traveller, National Geographic Traveller - Family, Spasecretsmagazine.com, ASTAnetwork, Destination Vacation and Hyatt Life.
About ABTA
ABTA has been at the heart of travel for more than 60 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers — the travelling public — have confidence in their travel experience.
The ABTA brand stands for expertise, reliability and fairness. These qualities are core to us. They ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members.
We help our Members and their customers navigate through today\'s changing travel landscape by providing schemes of financial protection and a course of redress if something goes wrong; by raising standards in the industry and by giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety; and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.
ABTA currently has over 1,200 Members and represents over 5,000 retail outlets and offices. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we\'re working at the heart of the industry to ensure that we continue to build confidence in travel, visit www.abta.com.
Contact
For Editorial Enquiries:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
Glen Mutel, Associate Editor
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
glen.mutel@absolutepublishing.com
Sonia Soltani, Content Editor
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
sonia.soltani@absolutepublishing.com
Maria Pieri, Editorial Director
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9906
maria.pieri@absolutepublishing.com
For Sales Enquiries:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9009
Matthew Midworth, Special Projects Consultant
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 9009
