Condé Nast confirms new magazine plans

Condé Nast has ended months of speculation about its launch plans by announcing the UK launch of Condé Nast Traveller magazine.

Condé Nast has ended months of speculation about its launch plans by announcing the UK launch of Condé Nast Traveller magazine.

The magazine will not be published for 12 months but the company wants to end speculation that it was planning UK versions of Vogue Entertaining or Glamour, the US women’s general interest title.

The publisher has also confirmed that GQ Active, its men’s health and sport magazine, will become a monthly from April next year. GQ Active was launched as a one-off in May. There will be a second issue in the autumn before it goes monthly.

Condé Nast is looking for initial circulation levels of about 75,000 for both titles, but managing director Nicholas Coleridge says he is optimistic about higher sales.

Deborah Gresty, publishing director of Condé Nast’s House & Garden, will be publishing director of Traveller. Peter Stuart, publishing director of GQ, will fulfil the same role for GQ Active.

Coleridge maintains the failure of BBC Magazine’s Holiday to find a market was because it was pitched at package tourists. He chose to launch Traveller because of the success of the title in the US and the strong demand for upmarket travel publications overseas. “It will be aimed at the 5 million AB adults in Britain who travel overseas every year,” says Gresty.

Coleridge claims the launch of both titles will be backed by major advertising and promotions.

The National Magazine Company’s Harpers & Queen announced its plans to launch a brand extension next year, focusing on travel.