Skift Take
A recent change in policy at Travel + Leisure is setting the luxury travel agent world abuzz. But T + L's move to monetize its A-List also says something about the changing state of travel journalism.
Can an A-list be an A-list if you have to pay to be on it?
That’s the question facing the travel advisor industry today after Travel + Leisure announced it would charge $4,000 a pop to those who want to be on its "A-List" of top travel agents.
While agents dominate the list, it also includes some bespoke tour operators and representatives of destination marketing companies.
Veteran A-Listers recently received a letter, announcing a move to a membership-based system. The magazine said the fee would come with additional benefits, including a dedicated page on the Travel + Leisure website, and promotion on social media channels.
Nevertheless, what was once purely an editorial play is moving into a membership model.
Travel + Leisure recently changed hands after Meredith bought Time, Inc. Less than two months after the official takeover, the company is implementing cost-cutting measures including employee layoffs and asset sales. It’s not a stretch to believe that the new policy results from the new ownership.
Editor-in-chief Nathan Lump, however, said the magazine began developing the plan long before ownership changed hands.
"We wanted to ensure the A-List is more than just an accolad
