New Vacation-Booking Service Built in Partnership With DH Enterprise & Associates
Klarna to Serve as Official “Travel Now, Pay Later” Sponsor
NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Cosmopolitan, the world’s largest women’s media brand, announced today the launch of CosmoTrips, a bespoke travel-booking service. The new offering delivers a unique opportunity for the brand’s Gen Z and millennial audience to “travel like an editor” through instantly bookable, curated vacation experiences in top cities across the U.S.
A new business venture for Cosmopolitan, CosmoTrips—designed and built in partnership with tech-first travel industry leaders DH Enterprise & Associates (DH)—launched today with a collection of two- and three-night itineraries in four U.S. cities: New York, Austin, Charleston, and West Hollywood. Each itinerary offers best places to stay, eat, and play—plus exclusive perks and insider access—all vetted by the Cosmo editorial team and secured in collaboration with experience provider Travel Curious. Cosmo will continue to expand the destination offerings and city-specific itineraries—including New Orleans, Miami, and Las Vegas—in the coming months.
With the launch of CosmoTrips, Cosmopolitan is further solidifying its commitment to its audience of travel enthusiasts by leveraging its editorial influence and expertise to create experiences that bring the brand to life and inspire discovery. According to a recent Avail survey, 71% of both Gen Zers and millennials are planning to travel more, or the same amount, in 2022 than they did pre-pandemic, and many in those demographics are either already planning or are considering splurging on a big trip. The CosmoTrips business is designed to serve young Americans’ appetite for travel while saving them time by providing one-click access to Cosmo-approved vacation itineraries.
“Our audience of Gen Zers and millennials are considered the golden generation for travel, and research shows that they prioritize experiences over things,” said Nancy Berger, SVP/publishing director and chief revenue officer of Hearst Youth + Wellness Group. “CosmoTrips travel packages are specifically curated for this demographic, vetted by our editors, and include perks and surprise and delight moments, many of which are exclusive to our offering. Cosmo is such a trusted resource on so many aspects of their lives; creating a travel experience they will love, making it easy to book, and guaranteeing them a fun time was a natural brand extension for us.”
Over the past year, Cosmo has invested in travel coverage, delivering more content than ever before, including travel features in every print issue and a robust digital channel anchored by The Must-Visit List. Issue 5, the Travel Issue—on newsstands nationwide on August 23—will be entirely dedicated to travel, exploring the hottest places to travel right now, the best places to stay, where to dine, what to wear, and things to check out while you’re there. The issue will also include a special CosmoTrips feature spotlighting the four launch destinations.
“Our editors love to travel—and so does our audience. CosmoTrips not only takes out the stress of planning their next vacation, but travelers are guaranteed an experience that passes our editors’ pickiness test, all without lifting a finger,” said Jessica Giles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan. “With the coolest destinations, chicest restaurants, and the secret spots only locals know about, these are the extremely curated trips that our audience deserves.”
As Cosmopolitan further establishes its editorial position in the travel space, it has also attracted new print and digital advertising partners in the category, including Air New Zealand, Sandals, and Texas Tourism as well as CosmoTrips launch destinations Explore Charleston and Visit West Hollywood. To celebrate the launch of the new venture, Cosmo will host an invitation-only event in West Hollywood next month.
Among the sponsors supporting the launch of CosmoTrips, Klarna serves as the official “travel now, pay later” partner, making it easy for consumers to budget their travel plans. The payment platform is fully integrated into the CosmoTrips booking website, and CosmoTrips will be featured in a variety of premium placement formats across Klarna’s app and website as well as promoted through Klarna’s influencer network.
“We are excited to be partnering with Cosmopolitan on their new travel proposition, CosmoTrips,” said David Sandstrom, chief marketing officer of Klarna. “Together, we are looking forward to giving readers the opportunity to explore new cities whilst spreading the cost of their experience.”
“We are thrilled to partner with an iconic brand like Cosmopolitan. The pairing of DH’s bespoke travel technology platform and Cosmo‘s travel-passionate audience is an unbeatable combination,” said Ben Block, CEO of DH Enterprise & Associates. “We are leveraging the best of both companies and we couldn’t be more excited to grow the CosmoTrips business together.”
The CosmoTrips booking site is open now. For more information or to book a CosmoTrips travel experience, visit CosmoTrips.com and follow along on Instagram and Twitter @Cosmopolitan, #CosmoTrips
SOURCE Cosmopolitan
