They're designed as advertising vehicles for the different markets served by the carrier and, by definition, their goal is to appeal to as wide a cross section of people as possible.
I often read them when I'm flying, and I've even helped put a few together. Several years ago, we were involved in a Baltimore feature in UsAirways Magazine. This year, along with partner organizations like the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) and the Economic Alliance, we helped out with a profile on Baltimore that appears in the May issue of Southwest Airline's magazine, Spirit.
The articles give a pretty good entry-level introduction to any given city and are seen by tens of thousands of people from all over the world.
I'm not aware of any numbers that show whether or not an air mag profile increases visitation to a given market, but it sure can't hurt.
We know from BACVA research that people outside our region may not have much of an impression of Baltimore beyond the usual... crabcakes, the Inner Harbor, etc. But, once someone visits, they usually embrace the city and want to come back.
Baltimore is such a major hub for Southwest that it makes sense to profile the city in a glossy magazine. Using the same logic, a feature by Carnival Cruise Lines should be in the works soon.
Carnival was here a few weekends ago, covering Downtown with special events and promotions to build awareness of its new deal with the Port of Baltimore.
The cruise line is set to sail 50 annual round trips from Baltimore (generating an estimated $152 million for the local economy). Next year, Royal Caribbean will also begin offering year-round cruises, drawing visitors from across the mid-Atlantic and mid-West.
Whether they read about us in a magazine first or not, hopefully the scores of visitors attracted to Baltimore by the cruise lines get captured by the City's charm and make plans to return.
-Mike Evitts
