Ziff Davis Media Inc. has announced the premiere issue of Expedia Travels magazine. The new publication, which will debut on newsstands on October 31st, has been designed to show readers how to use the Internet to travel better and smarter. The magazine will be published bi-monthly, with plans to go monthly in Fall 2001. The first issue of Expedia Travels magazine has a rate base of 200,000 and carries over 60 advertising pages and a total of 154 pages. Expedia Travels competes with Travelocity Magazine, a travel publication launched by Travelocity, an online travel service which competes with Expedia.

The announcement was made by Scott Crystal, Executive Vice President and Publishing Director of Ziff Davis Media’s Consumer Group. Gary Walther is Expedia Travels’ editor-in-chief and Rosemary Ellis serves as executive editor of the magazine. Ellis is also the editor of the Expedia Travels magazine website, which will officially launch in December. Kathleen Foster serves as publisher of Expedia Travels magazine and John Boland serves as associate publisher.

``We are delighted with the outstanding response from the advertising community,’’ said Crystal. ``Expedia Travels will be a catalyst for reinforcing the perception of Ziff Davis as a significant consumer magazine publisher. We have attracted advertising across a broad range of categories and 75% of these clients are brand new to Ziff Davis as a publishing company. We are confident that Expedia Travels will redefine the travel category as we know it and that our magazine will continue to resonate with both readers and marketers.’’

Expedia Travels magazine will cover a range of topics to help web-savvy consumers who plan travel online. Regular coverage will include style, food, business travel, adventure travel, essential websites and news. ``We are the first travel magazine with a mission to link real-world, upscale destinations and Internet-travel sites with the affluent traveler,’’ said Walther. ``This magazine will examine the Internet itself and bring scrutiny to a medium that has largely gone unexposed.’’

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