New Travel Magazine ‘Afar’ Launches
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 08.07.09 | 3:27 PM ET
The first issue of a new print travel magazine called Afar landed in my mailbox yesterday. Travel writer friends have been talking about it for some time—largely marveling at the fact that anyone would launch a print travel magazine in these times.
I like the look and spirit of the magazine—it emphasizes “experiential travel.” It’s an approach that’s been tried before—I’m thinking of magazines like Blue and Escape. It was launched by Greg Sullivan and Joe Diaz, a couple of entrepreneurs with a passion for travel. Here’s hoping these guys and the editorial team they’ve assembled can come up with the magic formula to make it work over the long haul.
Sullivan has a background in the law, investment banking, car dealerships and arcade games, according to an interview in Daily Finance. He told the publication:
“There are some things that magazines are really good at and one of them is what we’re after with Afar. We’re really trying to inspire and model a certain kind of travel that’s really about experiencing a place and getting to know its people and its culture—getting the essence of the place. A magazine happens to be a really good medium for that because it can do it with narrative stories and essays and photos.”
Suerte, guys.
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Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
Veronica Stoddart 08.07.09 | 3:59 PM ET
While I applaud all new publishing efforts, suerte is the least of what they’ll need. Try a miracle. Just look at this month’s National Geographic Traveler—a, gasp, mere 78 pages! Probably the smallest issue they’ve ever published. And when the Conde Nast empire is calling in McKinsey & co., can we spell “desperate”? In this environment, my money is on niche, niche, niche.
But, hey, I hope the AFAR editors and writers can ride the wave while it lasts.
Susan West 08.07.09 | 4:04 PM ET
Jim—
Thanks so much for the kind words about Afar. High praise indeed, coming from you—our team has long admired World Hum and looks forward to joining you guys in the experiential travel community.
Susan West
Editor in Chief, Afar
Jim Benning 08.07.09 | 6:13 PM ET
Veronica, you know the travel publishing industry, so I don’t doubt Afar will need boatloads of suerte and more.
Susan, thanks for the kind words about World Hum. Congrats on the launch, and all the best to everyone at Afar.
All Inclusive Resorts 08.10.09 | 2:31 AM ET
I wish this magazine the best of luck, but I just got done reading a New York Tmes article about how difficult the magazine publishing business is. The story was about a huge release party for Talk magazine and how it folded within two years. The ad revenue is dropping fast and the ad revenue can be even worse online.
Chris 08.10.09 | 10:59 AM ET
The same truth holds for anyone starting a business right now. If you can work out the kinks and make it work during the recession, it will be dynamite in the recovery. And as hard as the print business is, there are still some things that magazines do very well. Buena Suerte indeed!