What is "Destinations"

Destinations is a full color, regional publication published three times a year with editorial content appropriate for each region (West Coast, Southwest, and East Coast/Mid North Central) featuring a primary theme(s) that are listed below. It is used as a direct marketing tool by American Express Travel Services Representative Agencies to inform existing and potential clients of special cruise, tour and other travel opportunities. These can be direct mailed, inserted into regional dailies or distributed within your agency by your agents.

Each Representative agency has their own customized front cover and custom made, two-page center spread to further reinforce their agency's message. The amount of advertising support determines the size of the newsletter, which is usually 8 or 12 pages. The publisher (TT Media Group, Inc.) sells travel-related advertising for the "common" pages of the newsletter to defray costs. Download the "Participation Contract" here.

See Regional Map

Destinations is designed to accomplish three goals:

How it Works
A masthead is designed for the front cover of an agency's individual edition. The back cover carries the agency's return address, bulk permit number if needed and allows space for client mailing information. There is a “side bar” on both the front cover and center spread that will feature your agency’s call to action.

Each agency is encouraged to submit copy for the center spread of their insert. The publisher will provide additional copy for agencies if they request it. Special or personal photos that you would like included in your custom made 2-page center spread of the newsletter should be emailed as hi-res jpgs. However we also retain an extensive photo library of high quality "stock" photos that can be used to enhance your personal editorial copy.

Each subscribing agency has the opportunity to sell advertising into their two-page section to help defray costs. Each agency is responsible for setting their own ad rates as well as working with the vendor and obtaining the ad copy/art work. If the ad is not camera-ready, we can design the ad for you at an estimated cost of $75 per ad.

Editorial Calendar/Circulation Dates

Spring Edition in circulation mid/third week of January through late April (Europe and Alaska - cruise/tour travel opportunities)

Summer Edition in circulation late April through Labor Day (Family Vacations and Multi-generational getaways)

Fall/Winter Edition in circulation Labor Day through mid/third week of January (Exotic Destinations/Luxury Travel; and "What's on the Horizon")

Collateral Sales Material
Each participating agency will receive an advance PDF of the upcoming edition as well as collateral information about each of the supplier’s promotions and products that are featured in that edition. This procedure has greatly enhanced the travel counselor's awareness of suppliers' product and increases the potential for closing a sale.


Cost/Newsletter Quantities/Distribution

Set-up fee: A one-time fee for the design and production of your personalized front cover masthead, cover and center spread "side bar” and return address information on the back cover.

Printing fee: This is based on a minimum quantity of 1,500 newsletters and maximum quantity of 50,000 newsletters. An agency may order in excess of 50,000 newsletters at an additional cost.

The maximum quantity of newsletters needed per edition should be indicated prior to the first edition of a three-edition commitment beginning with the Spring edition (distributed in January). We will contact each agency prior to the upcoming edition to determine if you need to change your quantity prior to printing. You can increase your quantity at any time - but not decrease once you establish a maximum quantity per edition. This requirement is due to printing costs determined by a maximum circulation per region. Once the printing cost has been established and ad rates set for the calendar year, we are unable to decrease your circulation without your agency incurring additional expense.