News

ACM set to launch post-pandemic travel website, building on print insert

Australian Community Media, the Antony Catalano-led regional media company, will launch a new national travel website on Sunday, aimed at locals navigating the “post-pandemic holiday market”.

The site’s launch will be promoted through a national print and digital campaign, and builds upon ACM’s ‘Explore’ platform, which began as a weekly print insert around a year ago.

Just two days ago, News Corp – a regional media competitor for ACM – launched its own new travel brand housed within The Australian, despite COVID-19’s decimation of the sector. The travel industry is beginning to ramp up its marketing efforts as relaxed restrictions allow for domestic trips. Yesterday, Tourism Australia unveiled a new campaign as part of its Holiday Here This Year push, featuring Hamish Blake and Zoe Foster-Blake and encouraging trips to Australian cities.

ACM’s Explore product features in each of its 14 daily newspapers. The online expansion, at exploretravel.com.au, will also be led by the company’s travel editor, Peter Lynch, who joined after a lengthy stint as the editor of Nine’s travel publishing assets, including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s Traveller.

“Explore in print has been a big hit with readers and advertisers alike and we’ve seen solid growth in both, which is a testament to the power of the ACM network even with a pandemic hovering over us,” Lynch said.

“Launching a dedicate website is the natural next step as we look to create a destination site for Aussie travellers.”

The site will house expert travel advice and answers to read questions, bargain deals, and an offering called ‘Swap Holidays’, where readers can exchange trips if border closures are re-implemented.

“Domestic planes are back in the air, and there are some fabulous bargains and great experiences to be had while our tourist spots are available exclusively to us,” Lynch continued.

“The pandemic means people are viewing travel in a very different way. They are desperate to take trips and see new things – working from home has made them even more keen to see Australia. But they want practical help to de-risk travel bookings and prepare for when they can again go overseas.

ACM’s managing director, Tony Kendall – who stepped into the role in December after Mumbrella broke the news of predecessor Allen Williams’ departure – added that the website’s launch is ACM “do[ing] our bit to help get the travel industry back on its feet”.

“For our travel clients, the ability to now combine Explore in print with our new exploretravel.com.au website presents a great opportunity to reach over four million potential travellers,” he said.

“We have highly trusted brands and a commitment to helping our clients reach our travel audiences across a variety of media channel options.

“Over 3.4 million of our readers don’t read the other national inserts~ and 3.3 million are intending to take a holiday in the next 12 months with an average expenditure of over $10,000+.”

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