2. Seniors. "We have a big senior database," says Beach, who categorizes this segment as being age 55 and olderup. These mature travelers "have the money, the time, and they tend to be a really attractive market," she says. Karen Mayhew, executive vice presidentEVP of consumer management at Direct Media, list manager for BT, National Geographic Traveler, and World Wide Country Tours, agrees, saying there's a large market of "retirees who are snowbirds or are traveling abroad."
3. Families. "One out of every four household trips include kids under age 18," says Beach. She goes on to explain that many parents want to help their children explore the world, do something educational, and "take them places that maybe they didn't get to go when they were growing up."
4. The Average Joe. Quiles says BT aims to stay true to its tagline, "Vacations for Real People." To do this, she says, it focuses on "Americans out there who don't make six figures-who are real people." Real people with a real passion for travel. BT's 2 million readers have a median age of 46 and a median household income ofis $67,000, yet on average log anywhere from four to 12twelve trips per year. "In today's economy," adds Mayhew, "most travelers are looking to do so on some kind of budget."
5. Business professionals. According to Mayhew, business travel represents a large portion of the travel market. "These travelers will certainly have higher- than- average incomes," she says. And Beach contends that baby boomers make up 30 percent of this segment. She's also quick to point out, "about one out of every three business trips are combined business and pleasure trips," so these individuals often fall into more than one category.
However disparate these groups may seem, they do have some commonalities. For instance, their "worldly knowledge" has lead them to be the go-to people in their communities. Says Quiles, "They're very active in their community; they consider themselves leaders." And as leaders, they can often can be found giving recommendations on everything from the best schools to the most sought-after products.!
Need Merchandise, Will Travel
Given that travelers areSeeing as how it's such a diverse group, what types of products might run the gamut? "In my experience, the majority of travelers have very hectic schedules and they seek products [that]which provide some convenience," says Onemma, who believes household solutions and any products that aim to make life a little bit easier would go over well with this audience. To this end, he contends, high-end gift catalogers see an amazing amount of crossover.
"If they're doing a lot of traveling," says Mayhew, "they are probably looking for clothing and accessories that don't wrinkle and are easy to pack." She knows swimsuits, luggage, handbags, toiletry kits, cameras and sunscreen always are always big hits.
And "they are definitely readers," she says., "They most likely subscribe to multiple magazines and are book purchasers."
Do You Mind? I Have a Plane to Catch!
[To tie both the hectic schedule and the need to read together, BT adds an index at the end of every article. "If you don't have time to read the whole thing, there's a box at the end and it tells you, ‘Here are the accommodations we listed,' ‘Here are car rental places you can go to,' ‘Here are the restaurants we would recommend'," says Quiles. "Who has the time to sit through lengthy articles?" she asks.
Of course, the magazine still has beautiful pictures, beckoning readers in. But it's not the main focus. To reach the busy traveler, you need to balance beauty with time-conscientiousness. "We think of ourselves as the kind of magazine you're going to roll up and put in your back pocket ... You're gonna use it," she says. So,] [DELETE SECTION ABOUT MAGAZINE EDITORIAL. WEAVE IN ADVICE ON DM CREATIVE TO END OF SECTION.]
B be sure to use bullet
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