This is the best list and most amazing cheat sheet for travel PR pros. As the growing travel industry expands so will the need for publicity among travel brands. The good thing is that travel editors love PR pitches as a guide for the hottest travel news and trends. So how do travel editors receive tips on the latest trendy posh hotels and celebrity hideouts? Generally, from travel PR professionals who keep them informed and fueled with travel trends.
When it comes to pitching powerhouse travel platforms now travel PR professionals have an exact blueprint created by the industry best of the best. Insider details for best places where and how-to pitch travel PR to leading editors at the top of their game.
PRNewser Tips on Navigating Travel Pitches for a Smooth Landing
photo credit Louis Vuitton 2015
Fam/press trips
More travel media brands allow these trips now, but editors select only those that include special destinations–and they make no promises about coverage. D’Elia must disclose the trip in her script, Begley Bloom has a standard policy that press trip attendees must produce a story per day on the road, Clampet’s staff finds the excursions valuable for information gathering, and Kaufman only allows such trips if they offer worthwhile experiences.
Each editor highlighted what differentiates their outlets and types of content they look for:
Yahoo Travel
Yahoo Travel covers 15 breaking news and feature stories per day, and is the top travel site in terms of traffic, Begley Bloom said. Topics span different aspects of travel, such as solo or family trips. They prefer stories about real people, such as pieces they ran about a couple who met and got married on Turkish Airlines , and an Australian couple who bought an island in Cambodia and became hoteliers.
Yahoo Travel Explorers is a network of travel bloggers who post stories (like ‘10 Tips for Happy Haggling’) on Tumblr, and the brand selectively features them on their site. Yahoo also has partnerships with other travel outlets. Begley Bloom said they welcome PR pitches, and are also looking for video content.
Skift
The rapidly growing 3-year old brand is currently the most visited travel news site in the U.S., according to Clampet. While most of their audience is comprised of travel industry professionals, other readers are armchair travelers. They work across travel silos (air, hotels, tech) to find common touchpoints and shared lessons. The site also studies travel strategy, marketing and tech to find similar products, like apps for hotel and airline check-ins.
Skift conducts C-Suite interviews, and does news stories, such as hotel guests wanting luxury and sustainability. They focus on original content and partner with sites like Bloomberg. Among their products, (some are subscription-based): daily newsletters, twice-monthly trends reports and podcasts. They also produce sponsored content and an annual conference.
New York Post
The travel section, appearing on Tuesdays, covers a range of stories, Kaufman said, such as discount trips, travel related products, fashion, design or real estate (i.e. hotel-condo developments). In addition, their Alexa luxury supplements appear 30 times per year, each focused on a specific theme.
The Post is increasing its digital presence and has a partnership with Yahoo Travel. Given their small staff, they also use contributed content. They occasionally cover local events if they’re compelling. Travel stories and pitches are welcome, but as Kaufman noted, “We love sensationalism, scandal and sex, so we do travel stories in our own Postian way .”
NY1 News
D’Elia is a self-described “travel production factory” since she does two stories per week, year round. She produces her own work and has a website and said she’s all about video and story ideas. Her pieces are 2 minutes long, including interviews, and she travels far and wide to exotic locales such as Cuba , where she did an 8-part series. She also explores places closer to home, such as Bear Mountain, because her diverse audience also likes local and regional stories.
Good luck!