The Observer plans monthly travel title

The Observer will publish a glossy travel magazine in January. The title will be added to the newspaper’s roster of monthly supplements if it proves successful.

The 68-page colour supplement will be tabloid-sized and branded the Observer Travel Magazine (OTM) in line with the newspaper’s other glossy supplements, Observer Sport Monthly (OSM) and Observer Food Monthly (OFM).

The supplement will be supported by an advertising campaign, created by Mother.

In April, the Observer rebranded its weekly Life magazine as a glossy, named Observer Magazine. At the same time it relaunched its television listings brochure as OTV, in an A5 format (MW April 11).

OSM was introduced in May 2000, followed in April 2001 by OFM. The colour supplements are credited by industry insiders with helping to improve the Observer’s circulation over the past two years.

In September, the Observer’s circulation was up 3.66 per cent on the previous month, to 462,082 (ABC). However, average net circulation for the six months to September was down 1.44 per cent – to 435,555 – compared with the same period in 2001.

Publishing houses and newspapers are anticipating strong advertising revenues from the travel sector. The Daily Telegraph is lining up a 72-page travel supplement for January 11 and The Sunday Times is launching a newsstand title called Travel in January.