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Telegraph: ‘Travel bloggers are in fantastic position’

By Steve Keenan

Charlie Starmer-Smith, Head of Travel of Telegraph Media Group, is holding open the door to digital freelancers

Whisper it quietly, but the travel editorial budget of The Daily Telegraph, Britain’s best-selling quality newspaper, is increasing in the next financial year.

The number of travel pages the paper produces is at its highest ever, an achievement in an era when newspaper sales are declining and advertising money is moving into digital.

But The Telegraph is holding its own on print advertising in its Saturday and Sunday sections, while increasingly working with commercial partners and expanding the number of travel supplements.

It is also developing its online product to take a share of the new money - with a separate budget to commission content for online only.

Starmer-Smith (pictured, left) took over the reins from Graham Boynton 18 months ago, and appears comfortable in juggling the numerous demands of an editor these days while maintaining the delicate balance between editorial and commercial.

“Media groups are now looking beyond travel newspaper display advertising. But to try and make any product work, you need investment,” he says.

Hence the increased budget and desire to continue expanding beyond the print sections, as evidenced by the expanded remit for the Sunday Times travel editor’s role - a position awarded today to staffer Steve Bleach.

The pace of diversification has been swift. Four months ago, the Telegraph Group bought a majority stake in Vos Media, which runs events including The Active Travel Show and The Ski & Board show. The deal also includes the Ski & Board print magazine.

The print and online cruise and luxury coverage has expanded, while 120 online destination guides have been built online written by core writers, including Annie Bennett (who runs the Madrid, Majorca and Valencia guides).

Starmer-Smith is now looking to further develop the guides and increase section coverage, both through user-generated content (UGC) and bloggers/freelancers…

“We started with core columnists and are now looking for UGC from our well-travelled users. We are looking at adventure, cruise and more – where readers can add their reviews. We are creating specialist sections that are rich and feels relevant to them.

“Also, there are the popular destinations that require a level of detail for anyone who travels to those cities, where there is loads happening. We have 120 destination guides and the majority of writers live in those destinations, or are going regularly enough.

“We are actively looking for more. We have got a skeleton network and we want to keep expanding. (Travel) bloggers are in a fantastic position. They can provide the nuts and bolts - and we absolutely want to pull in their social media.”

The Telegraph pays around 25p a word, slightly more for volume work (a destination guide could run to 5,000-6,000 words) but it is tougher than ever for new writers/bloggers to break into traditional media. Adds Starmer-Smith: “It is hard to find an ideal expert – to give utilitarian advice, practical knowledge and who is also a colour writer such as Annie Bennett. It is hard to be a new writer but we have budgets first and foremost for online – and there are more avenues than ever before.”

Without saying so, he’s juggling again - wanting more destination content but wanting writers/bloggers who know the place well and who can be, well, trusted. It’s the old horse and cart problem of not being trusted until known - but trying to get through the door first.

So is he questioning whether you can trust a blogger? No, he says. “There is a place for both – a blogger will have more freedom. The beauty for a travel blogger is that they can be a one man or woman band who can write about what they want and as much as they want to.

“It is harder for a media organisation. We have 150 years of confidence in us. But news organisations and bloggers can co-exist fantastically well - there is a reason newspapers had stringers around the world. You need specialism that could be just that one good restaurant recommendation. Who has time to sift through what is good and bad?”

And that door is open to bloggers, particularly those who can create multimedia to go with words. “Video is exactly what I want,” he adds. “We are doing more pages than we have ever done, so still want content. If you are new and looking to make yourself more appealing, it definitely helps to have knowledge of how to make it work on more than one platform.”

Listening to Starmer-Smith, I am again struck by the notion that established travel media brands may be in resurgence. Wanderlust Magazine today reported increased year-on-year advertising and record website figures, while The Guardian also recently reported strong digital income. The trick of juggling between print and digital and making the most of both could be right back on track.

* Bloggers wishing to contact the relevant person at The Telegraph travel desk should email [email protected] - an automated response details who to email for which destination/subject.