Articles tagged “fodors”

The move to digital has not removed the need for expert advice, but it has upended how print guidebook companies work and forced them to adapt to a publishing cycle that traditional print publishers are not always equipped to understand.

Talking to users should be easy for travel media brands, but a few have managed to dominate the conversation (like LP and Travel Channel) while others surprise despite their size (like Fathom).

This is an industry in flux, in which some traditional players will disappear, some will get stronger, and new and innovative voices will emerge.

Professionally created guides will always have a place in the traveler's toolkit, but they aren't going to be limited to paper any more and the next generation of guidebook brands will need to make the business work sooner rather than later.

It's only going to get harder for Penguin and Random House: Neither one has displayed much talent when it comes to extending its print brands to the web.

The travel guide pioneer has made a strong push into inspirational travel the last few years, but the challenges of book publishing in general and its parent company in particular mean that 2013 is make-or-break for the middlebrow series.