After more than 10 years, National Geographic Adventure is going to stop publishing.
As an adventurous sort of cat, how should I feel about this? The truth is, aside for the people losing their jobs, I just don’t really care. I picked up many editions of the magazine whenever I’d spy something interesting on the cover. But I never pulled a single interesting and useful tidbit out of it.
Did the editorial staff really think it was serving the bulk of its readership by telling us about 16-day, $7,000 adventures in Africa? Or by giving us a list of 10 Bikes You Must Buy This Year? I found every issue to be thin on practical advice, and far too heavy on “well, maybe if I win the lottery” fare.
Obviously, the magazine was trying to appeal to its advertisers. But from where I sit, it grubbed so much for advertising dollars that it lost sight of serving its readers. I suppose there may be a few people out there lounging on their yachts who picked up an issue and splashed down for a two-week guided tour starting in Timbuktu - but I’ll be there are a lot more like that who just wondered where they might be able to see a wild cassowary in Queensland. Would that story attract as many advertising bucks? Probably not. But it’s actually something more of its readership could afford.
I’m hoping for the rise of a magazine for travelers who are on real budgets, but have a desire to push [...]
