Exclusive | Niloufer Venkatraman of NGT Unplugged

National Geographic Traveller India is the Indian edition of National Geographic Traveller (U.S, the travel magazine of the National Geographic Society. It is an inclusive magazine that focuses on 'real travel for real people' through experiential and immersive storytelling.

For a deeper insight to National Geographic Traveller(NGT) India Magazine, Adgully caught up with Niloufer Venkatraman, editor-in-chief, National Geographic Traveller India to share her thoughts on the same.

Niloufer who holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from Temple University, Philadelphia, has spent a few years in academia before becoming a writer of travel. She has edited TimeOut’s India: Perfect Places to Stay, Eat & Explore (2010), and co-authored Frommer’s India travel guide (2nd and 3rd editions).

Niloufer started off the talk by explaining what was National Geographic Traveller (NGT) India all about, “We are more about family travel, unique experiences, as well as new ways of covering older destinations and sharing eco-tourism insights. We focus on 5 key segments-Technology, Road trips, Food, Wellness and Storytelling.

On asking about their core strength, she described NGT’s core strength as the, “immersive and authentic storytelling that inspires travel. Our tagline is ‘Nobody Knows This World Better’ and every story attempts to capture the essence of a place in a way that will urge readers to create their own memorable trips, and come back with their own amazing stories.”

In today’s world it is too tough to match up with the taste of the young travellers, so we asked how effectively NGT India is catering to readers of all age groups. “From the letters we get we seem to have a huge range of readers amongst the teenagers and also a variety that spans even to senior citizens. Each issue of the magazine tries to address the interests of these myriad age groups. We suggest road trips that can be undertaken with friends or with families (with a special focus on those with young children),” she said.

She also added that, “The Get Going section suggests adventure and sporting holidays for those who want a more active vacation. The perspective pieces in the journey’s appeal to a more thoughtful audience, while the technological pieces are perfect for the young and on the move.”

NGT India features many interesting sections but the Journey section is the most enjoyed amongst its readers. They recently announced their forthcoming edition so we wanted to know more about this new edition and what it would be focusing on. She replied, “The March edition is a holiday special that is intended to inspire readers to take a vacation this summer, whether they go for three weeks or three days. It offers suggestions on where to take the family, and some options for adventure. The issue focuses on destinations in India and around Asia and also has a few interesting travel stories from Europe and North America. The holiday special will also give travellers advice on taking road trips, suggestions for making technology work for you on your holiday, and enjoying food as you travel.” 

Apart from focusing on NGT India magazine, the team also organizes workshops and exhibitions to showcase the talent of photographers and their team. They recently organized a photo workshop as part of the Kala Ghoda Festival which was conducted by Ashima Narain, NGT India’s photo editor. National Geographic also organised the Simply Beautiful photo exhibition that recently concluded in Mumbai and will now travel across India.

On the challenges faced and strategies that worked for them, Niloufer thoughtfully said the following, “An important challenge at the time of the magazine’s launch in July 2012 was making an impact and finding a distinctive voice in a market that already has several other travel magazines. We stuck to the core USP of National Geographic, with its emphasis on powerful storytelling, authentic information, and exclusiveness. This stood us in good stead and we are now the most rapidly growing magazine in the country. And that’s the way we deal with the competitions.” She added.

We asked her to put her points on scope for niche magazines in India, she answered with gusto “India is one of the few countries in the world where the readership for magazines and newspapers is actually growing each year. Within this growing readership there are groups with a variety of interests.  Many Indians can afford to travel now and are interested in exploring new destinations in India and abroad. They are keen on having new and varied experiences. Even when they’re not travelling, they are interested in reading and knowing more about the world.”.

As a part of their upcoming initiative they would be soon launching an iPad edition of the magazine. | By Rabab Rupawala [rabab(at)adgully.com]