ACK Media launches National Geographic Traveller in India

The magazine will be available across the country at a cover price of Rs 120.

ACK Media has launched the Indian edition of National Geographic Traveller (NGT), a travel magazine from National Geographic. The magazine will be available across the country at a cover price of Rs 120. National Geographic Traveller India's tagline is 'Nobody Knows This World Better'.

The monthly title is launched with an initial print run of 60,000 copies. The Indian edition marks the 15th international edition of the magazine. The magazine is targeted at family holiday planners, primarily SEC A and B in the metros and mini-metros.

In 2011, ACK Media and the National Geographic Society announced plans to publish the Indian edition of National Geographic Traveller in partnership. The distribution house, India Book House, a subsidiary of ACK Media which manages the distribution for National Geographic's flagship magazine in the country, will manage the distribution for the new title (National Geographic Traveller India) as well.

To ensure the availability of the magazine across the country, the company claims to have met more than 600 retailers across India, including modern trade outlets in six cities and surrounding areas.

The content mix of the magazine will deal with immersive travel experiences, apart from family travel, travel stories, new ways of exploring old destinations, and also about being a responsible traveller.

The Indian edition of the magazine will have more than 75 per cent of locally generated content. The local edition of National Geographic Traveller India will carry the same look and the familiar yellow-bordered cover.

Manas Mohan, publishing director, National Geographic Traveller India and COO, ACK Media, says, "It is a huge achievement for ACK Media to partner with National Geographic Society to bring out the Indian edition of National Geographic Traveller. The hard work has paid off, with a fantastic response from advertisers, and I am eagerly waiting for the positive review from our readers."

Travel writer and travel guidebook author Niloufer Venkatraman has been appointed editor-in-chief and Eric D'Souza is the vice-president, advertising sales for the monthly.

Abizar Shaikh, director, IBH, says, "IBH will bring in all its energy, passion and drive to ensure the ready accessibility of NGT for readers across the country by making it available at every possible retail outlet in India."

To promote the product, the company is indulging in a large scale marketing programme including spots on National Geographic and Fox Traveller channels, outdoor campaigns across the top six metros, radio channels, and a point of purchase campaign across 500 retail outlets and magazine vending stands.

For the record, National Geographic Society is a non-profit scientific and educational organisation founded in 1888 to 'increase and diffuse geographic knowledge' with a mission to 'Inspire People to Care about the Planet'. NGT's US edition was started in 1984.