Property Week editor Welsh, left, is to be succeeded by colleague Barrie
Property Week editor John Welsh has been appointed editor of sister title Travel Trade Gazette.
Giles Barrie, currently executive editor of Property Week, is to take his place as editor. Assistant editor James Whitmore has moved up to become deputy editor. The reshuffle at CMPi, which publishes both titles, is a result of the departure of TTG’s long-standing editor, Phil Johnson, amid claims he was unhappy with planned changes.
Welsh said it was too early to discuss the plans, but said there were similarities between travel and property since both industries have agents. “They face the same sort of challenges dealing with their businesses in a global economy, whether it is online, quota efficiencies or mergers and acquisitions. I am a journalist and editor foremost and the skill of any editor/journalist is to identify with your readers,” he told Press Gazette.
Welsh joined Property Week four and a half years ago, having previously been editor of RIBA, the professional magazine for UK architects, for six years. He has also written four books.
“It will be three different markets and three different audiences for which I’ll have edited a magazine – architecture, commercial property and now travel,” he said. In response to suggestions that CMPi wanted to further differentiate TTG from its rival at Reed, Travel Weekly, Welsh added: “It is not so much about changing tone but expanding the coverage.”
Barrie has been executive editor of Property Week for four years. Prior to that, he was deputy editor on Building and news editor on Building Design. He also worked for The Daily Telegraph for 12 months as assistant to the commercial property correspondent.
Barrie said the commercial property sector was brighter now than it had been in the past two and half years.”
“We have big plans,” he said. “CMPi has promised to invest in Property Week and I am looking forward to eating further into Estates Gazette’s market share. We want to be a young, youthful and lively magazine for the property industry.”
By Ruth Addicott
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