We launched Global Traveler post-9/11 when there was a lot of skepticism about starting a new magazine, let alone one targeted for the traveler. Any new venture is a struggle, but the statistics were clearly against us: Most new magazines fail within their second year, a historically stressful time when the initial excitement of the launch begins to diminish.

We survived that time through the perseverance of a great staff totally dedicated to the success of the magazine. Some of those people from the early days are still with us. Others have moved on to new ventures. But one thing is sure: They all contributed to our success over these past five years.

There were naysayers along the way; individuals who may not have wanted us to succeed. We overcame their skepticism by staying true to our calling; by reaching out to business and luxury travelers, we have seen consistent gains in our readership and our advertising.

Growth has been the catapult to our success. A post-launch redesign allowed us to better tailor content to our readership. We went the extra mile to secure ABC audits. We addressed reader demand by increasing publication from 10 times a year to monthly. Following a prolonged two-year period of growth in sales and readers, we added new features with a focus on adventure and family travel.

Our most recent accomplishment, which I announce with great pride, is an ABC-audited circulation of more than 100,000 copies per month — a milestone unmatched by any other publications in our niche.

We are looking forward to the next five years, anticipating new growth and innovative editorial written to address your lifestyle interests. Thanks for your support as subscribers and business associates. It’s been an interesting journey, and we look forward to more adventures on the horizon.

Greetings and good wishes from our industry friends and valued subscribers.

Global Traveler is an excellent resource for interesting, practical travel information that is useful to all international travelers. The annual awards presented by the magazine offer readers the opportunity to learn about the best products in the travel industry.
Sheryl Stein
Manager, Advertising and Public Relations, USA, EL AL Israel Airlines

Congratulations to Global Traveler on its fifth anniversary. Coincidentally, it is also almost five years since Emirates started flying to the United States. It has been an exciting and challenging time for us, and I am sure it has been for Global Traveler as well.
Nigel L. Page
Sr. Vice President, Commercial Operations, The Americas, Emirates

On behalf of Jumeirah Group, I’d like to extend congratulations to Global Traveler on this significant milestone of success. For five years the travel industry has benefited from the reliable, high-quality reporting of your contributors. The superior knowledge and experience espoused by your publication can only be possessed by truly experienced travelers, passionate and dedicated to their craft.

To have been recognized in the prestigious Global Traveler GT Tested Awards three years in a row is truly an honor for Jumeirah. We value our association with this prized publication and look forward to celebrating many more successes with you.
Apo Demirtas
Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Jumeirah Group

On behalf of Travelpro International, I want to congratulate Global Traveler on its fifth anniversary. Global Traveler is a must-read for business and frequent travelers worldwide.
Scot Applebee
Vice President, Marketing, Travelpro International, Inc.

I moved to the United States from Melbourne, Australia, in 2003. A few months after settling in to San Diego, I started to travel regularly around the United States, mainly for pleasure, with occasional business trips. I decided to divide my annual vacation time into four one-week trips so I could see as much of the world as possible while I am living here. I soon became a very frequent flyer and started to value the benefits of elite status.

In 2004 I picked up a copy of GT in an airport lounge. I was immediately struck by its attractive presentation, excellent pictures and fresh reporting. I decided to subscribe and have been a loyal subscriber since then.

I particularly love the short articles on cities. This is often how I decide where I will go for my next vacation. I also appreciate the reviews of hotels and flights, for I have become a discerning traveler. GT is a great magazine; it makes me excited about travel. More importantly, I feel it is really a community more than a monthly magazine. I love it!
Anthony Noble
Global Traveler subscriber

Global Traveler has opened the door to a world of cultural, economic and practical information, ensuring that I arrive at my destination ready and raring to go!
Zachary R. Shapiro
Global Traveler subscriber

Happy fifth anniversary, Global Traveler! On behalf of all my colleagues at IHG, it’s been a real pleasure working with such a distinguished publication as yours over these past five years. Your editorial insights into travel are spot on, and your GT Tested Awards are one of the few travel awards that come straight from the people who know the most — frequent travelers themselves. Cheers to many more years of success and working together.
Steve Sickel
Sr. Vice President, Multi-Brand and Relationship Marketing, IHG

From our family of global travelers to the authority, we wish you a world of success on your milestone.
Ross Klein
Global Head, Hilton Luxury and Lifestyle Brands

I really enjoy my subscription to Global Traveler. The articles not only include very enticing photographs but also valuable travel tips. After reading about the profiled destinations every month, I’m ready to hop on a plane for my next trip abroad! Congratulations to GT on five years of providing a great magazine. Wishing you many more years of success.
E. A. Kovach-Hayes
Global Traveler subscriber

Delta and its 75,000 employees worldwide congratulate Global Traveler on five great years.
Joe Leach
Product Manager, Customer Lounge Experience, Delta Air Lines

Hyatt is delighted to celebrate the success of Global Traveler. We look forward to many more years to come!
Sara Kearney
Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Hyatt

I wish to offer my sincere congratulations for the fifth anniversary of Global Traveler magazine. Its success is attributable to the hard work and effort of Francis X. Gallagher, the publisher and CEO, and the staff of Global Traveler. I hope Global Traveler will continue to contribute in the development of global publications based on its commitment to uniqueness, accuracy and promptitude, and gain the readers’ trust and loyalty. And may your business prosper for many years to come!
Sangbong Jwa
President and CEO, Lotte Hotel Seoul

Congratulations on your fifth anniversary on behalf of Asiana Airlines. We believe that Global Traveler is one of the most influential magazines in the airline business. I hope GT continues to play an important role in the world travel business, including the airline industry.

We are honored by our Global Traveler GT Tested awards. We truly thank the readers of Global Traveler for their recognition and will make a promise to our patrons that Asiana safety and overall quality of service will never be compromised under any circumstances.
Tae Keun Han
Vice President, Cabin Service Planning Asiana Airlines

Congratulations Global Traveler. It is an impressive accomplishment to have been in the business of providing readers with sound advice for over five years. Thank you for allowing us to share in this journey of global connectivity.
Rob Miller
Vice President, Marketing, Verizon Wireless

We congratulate Global Traveler on five years and look forward to its continued role in ensuring discerning travelers have ample information about the issues they care about.
Dennis Cary
Sr. Vice President, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer, United Airlines

Congratulations on this important anniversary. We look forward to many more editions of Global Traveler.
Carlos Roman
Marketing Director, LAN Airlines

I would like to share my sincere congratulations to the team at Global Traveler on their success as a premier publication within the travel industry over these past five years. The magazine has become a must-read in the hospitality field, and I look forward to its continued growth in the years to come.
Tim Lee
General Manager, Hotel Bel-Air

Air Canada warmly congratulates Global Traveler on achieving five successful years of publishing an informative, entertaining and highly respected magazine. We are pleased to have been associated with this upscale publication since its launch, and look forward to many more years of excellent and insightful travel editorial.
Denis Vandal
Director, Marketing Air Canada

Bula from Air Pacific, Fiji’s International Airline and your Island in the Sky. In the spirit of Fijian warmth and friendliness, we send you our heartiest congratulations as you celebrate your fifth successful year in publishing. We also want to thank you for bringing Fiji and Air Pacific to your subscribers because without you, this tiny island nation and its international airline would be virtually unknown.

You epitomize your corporate mantra of “Relationships, Friendship and Trust.” We truly look forward to working with you and wish you continued success and prosperity for the future.

Vinaka vaka levu!
Candy Andrus
General Manager Air Pacific

Happy fifth anniversary to a splendid magazine. We really enjoy working with your top-notch team at GT and wish you many more years of success in bringing the business and luxury traveler the very latest on the world’s top travel destinations.
Teresa Gancedo Nieto
Director Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago

Plan to Excel
Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and CEO, Global Traveler, on the magazine’s first five years.

Global Traveler: As Global Traveler celebrates its fifth anniversary, in what ways do you think it has grown as a publication?

Francis X. Gallagher: The magazine has grown and evolved in many ways and has spurred growth in our niche. As we continually change, our competition has been forced to become stronger and more reliable.

In the last five years, Global Traveler’s ABC-audited circulation has grown by well over 50 percent. During that time, we were the only magazine in the niche to consistently report audited figures; I am very proud of that. Additionally, we have gone from 10 times a year to 12, which was difficult for everyone here, but was right for the readers. I think our advertisers appreciate the regularity of the magazine, which is something the other magazines in the niche seen unable to achieve. We have also created regular supplements. Our Global City Guidebook offers quick summaries of cities around the world in an easy-to-read format. Class Act has become a favorite, offering everything travelers want to know about premium-class travel, with charts of the major carriers’ business- and first-class products. The Luxury Book has been a big hit, as our readers live a luxury lifestyle outside of the cabin. Our Globility series includes editions on the Pacific Rim and Spain, with plans for India, Israel and more.

The layout and art direction has greatly improved over the years and is constantly under review. We have another soft redesign planned for 2009. Our constant evolution keeps the magazine successful.

GT: Flash back to Day 1: What were you thinking then? If you had looked forward five years, is the magazine now what you imagined it would be?

FXG: The beauty of people with an idea is that their minds are not clouded by a “what if I fail” mentality. I was not born an entrepreneur; I became one. In my previous position, I was given a great deal of autonomy. I was so involved that it shocked the new owners when they took over. And when they began making changes, I felt it was time to create the magazine I always wanted and knew how to run. Most importantly, I was going to create a better magazine in a field I understood because I had worked in it for nearly 20 years. I think a big mistake made by entrepreneurs is venturing into a field they do not fully understand. There were some hard times, sleepless nights and a great deal of odds against us, but we made it through — and excelled. So, to answer your question, it is better than I imagined.

GT: What is your proudest accomplishment with this magazine?

FXG: I am proud that we continually follow our corporate mantra — honesty, friendship and trust — through the good and bad. We remain audited, which means there is no doubt that we deliver what we claim. We stay close to our readers, suppliers and clients and value relationships. Global Traveler will be there every month, without hiatus. I am also very proud of our staff and editorial product. It is truly unique, not rewritten press releases or the same old editorial that has been around for years.

GT: You have spent a long time in the travel and publishing industries. What keeps you going? What makes you tick?

FXG: To me, there is nothing more exciting than entering an aircraft and taking off on a trip. Doing business internationally does more for diplomacy than political meetings ever can. Learning about people around the world has offered me great insight. Creating a safe and secure place for my employees to work and thrive is important. I was asked early on what I would do if GT failed. I said it won’t — it has to succeed, there is no turning back. So what makes me tick? My drive to succeed, being reliable and creating a product that readers and the industry can trust