Many holiday seekers from regional Australia enjoy a higher disposable income than their urban counterparts – this makes them a prime audience for travel brands.

And one of the most effective ways to get your destination on their itinerary is to align with Explore; regional Australia’s trusted voice in travel.

Travel publications aren’t rare, but as media becomes more and more centralised, independent voices are.

Explore is the travel media brand within ACM, Australia’s largest independent publisher.

Despite only launching in 2019 it is now one of the most trusted voices for travel, especially in the regions.

Explore, runs each Saturday across 14 publications, reaching 363,000* people. As well as a premium website, ACM also publishes Explore Extra every Tuesday which reaches 252,000* mid-week readers. 

The team at Explore say they don’t just publish stories, they create content that inspires its readers to take positive action towards travelling. Motivating them to take the next step.

That’s why it has found an audience amongst people who are natural travellers. Its readers are travelling more and reading more travel content than ever before. And more so than those living in the capital cities.

It doesn’t take the loyalty of its audience for granted and understands the needs and behaviours of those who read Explore regularly.

“We know that the Explore audience is truly immersed in the content because they tell us they are, Kate Cox, Head of Travel told Travel Weekly.

“Their feedback and the research we’ve received show that our readers really value what we provide and rely on it to help them make the best travel plans for themselves. It’s like their personal guide.”

Explore is the trusted voice for travel in the regions. A recent survey revealed 68 per cent of its readers trust explore journalists and their content.

As well, 64 per cent of its readers believe Explore is an absolute must-read each week, and  80 per cent love the content Explore delivers.

And, that connection crosses over directly into its reader’s travel plans, with 63 per cent of readers saying they started thinking about planning a holiday after reading Explore content, 51 per cent have researched a destination or experience they read about in Explore and 34 per cent have visited a featured website.

A huge 30 per cent of Explore readers said they were planning 2-3 international trips, and 15 per cent were planning 4-5 trips within their own state. And, readers prioritised travel experiences over saving.  

Explore’s Commercial Head of Travel Sarah Dasey says it’s this that makes the product such an asset to advertisers.

Explore readers are more likely than the rest of Australia to have travelled domestically and internationally in the last 12 months and a staggering 18 per cent more likely to have travelled by air.

And a massive 74 per cent of Explore readers do not read the Sydney Morning Herald or The Age on a Saturday when Traveller is published or News publications on a Sunday when Escape is published.

“We’ve experience a big increase in the number of travel brands advertising with us and it continues to grow,” Dasey said.

“They’re getting strong results from our marketing solutions. This coupled with feedback in our recent Explore survey proves how effective the product is for promoting a brand.”

Being a cross-platform travel brand gives Explore and its advertisers the opportunity to connect with millions of regional Australians intending to travel.

Each month via Explore and more widely ACM Media’s network of more than 100 news mastheads, the brand connects with 1.5 million* travel intenders. 

It covers all aspects of travel. From cruising and tours to resorts and family getaways.

“I have worked in travel media for nearly two decades and there has never been such audience interest in travel as there is now, Sarah Maguire, Explore editor said.

“Our readers are hungry for our travel storytelling, which we know they use to plan their own dream journeys around Australia and the world.”

The growing success of Explore is proof that travel is front of mind with Australians, no matter where they live, but especially for those in the regions.

SOURCE: *Roy Morgan Single Source, Jun 23, travel intenders aged 14+. Monthly print and digital audience. ^Explore Travel survey, Chi Squared Research, July 2023. People 18+. n=1,050. `Boomtown, Industry Insights, 2023.