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Cosmopolitan Magazine Gets into the Travel Business

Klarna is the official “travel now, pay later” sponsor.

Cosmopolitan magazine is getting into the travel business. The women’s media brand, owned by Hearst, is launching CosmoTrips, a vacation booking service in partnering with DH Enterprise & Associates, a bespoke travel technology platform. In addition, Klarna has signed on as the official “travel now, pay later” sponsor, helping travels pay for their trips over time. CosmoTrips specifically targets Gen Z and Millennial travelers.

Initially, CosmoTrips will offer two- and three-night trips to U.S. cities including New York, Austin, Charleston and West Hollywood. They plan to expand to New Orleans, Miami and Las Vegas in the near future. Cosmopolitan will celebrate the launch of CosmoTrips with an invite-only event in West Hollywood in September.

The website describes CosmoTrips as:

  • Hyper-curated, we-plan-it-all-for-you destinations
  • One of a kind experiences
  • Exclusive perks

“CosmoTrips is a new way to vacay,” the website says. “Travel like an editor.”

The trips are all vetted by the Cosmo editorial team, and they are planned in collaboration with Travel Curious, an experience provider. According to Cosmopolitan’s August 15 news release, the magazine wants to uses its expertise and editorial influence to create experiences that are consistent with the Cosmo brand and that inspire discovery among travelers who use the travel booking service. They are also diversifying their revenue streams by adding a new service.

“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, in the announcement.

“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,” Berger added.

Jessica Giles, editor-in-chief for Cosmopolitan, also commented on the new travel booking service.

“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 Giles. “With the coolest destinations, chicest restaurants, and the secret spots only locals know about, these are the extremely curated trips that our audience deserves.”

Insider Take

This is quite a departure for a magazine, but it could be a very smart strategic play for Cosmopolitan. They are catering to their target audience, diversifying revenue streams, and bringing their brand to life by offering experiences they believe their readers will want. This could potentially elevate the brand’s reputation, especially when using well-respected companies to support their new travel booking service. After two years of quarantine, people are eager to get out and travel again, and this is Cosmopolitan’s opportunity to capitalize on that desire.

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