As AI reshapes the travel marketing landscape, brands must rethink their approach to content strategy. A new report from Curacity reveals how marketers can shift from passive awareness-building to active, measurable demand creation through targeted storytelling and strategic distribution.
Read on for the interview we conducted with Jula Cosgrove, vice president and editor-in-chief of Afar. You can access all insights from the report by visiting Skift.
Q: How do you maintain trust in an AI-saturated content landscape?
While many in our space are scaling back, we’ve expanded our editorial team this year. Everything we publish across our platforms is created by professional writers, photographers, editors, audio producers, and multi-platform content creators who bring a high degree of trustworthiness, intelligence, credibility, and expertise about travel and the world around them. That’s priceless in a world in which truth and veracity are becoming difficult to find.
Afar’s mission has not wavered since our founding in 2008: To make a positive impact on the world through high-quality storytelling that inspires, enriches, and empowers travelers who care. I can’t think of a better statement for prioritizing the importance of trust in travel media.
Q: What’s the key to making content stand out?
We have to be the foil to the constant stream of slop that has taken over our feeds and our inboxes. We have to be everywhere. We have to cut through the noise. We have to be excellent. And we have to be ambitious.
This year, Afar is putting more of a focus on inspirational storytelling. We’re meeting audiences where they are, surprising them, and offering them something that feels differentiated with a distinct POV and voice.
I believe our job as travel journalists is to give people information and inspiration before they know they need it. I read everything I can get my hands on, about travel, food, luxury, adventure, urban development, climate, and the global economy, because it’s all interrelated. A good editor relies on a mix of intuition and analysis, and constantly talks to people both within and outside of the industry to try to synthesize the moment in which we’re living.
Q: Why is email becoming more important?
The increasing unpredictability of search, social media, and AI-driven content discovery has made email more essential than ever for us. Over 55% of our subscribers open more than 16 Afar emails a month. That kind of engagement is rare, and it speaks to the trust we’ve built.
As a result, our editorial team is placing even more emphasis on email. We’re constantly thinking about what our readers want in their inbox — what’s going to inspire them, inform them, and keep them coming back. Email gives us a direct, reliable connection to the world’s best travelers. It’s not only a powerful editorial channel, but also a meaningful opportunity for our partners to reach this high-value audience.
Q: How are you using AI without compromising credibility?
AI is an incredible tool. When combined with trusted content, it has the power to transform the travel planning experience. However, while AI can simplify planning, it’s only as good as the content it draws from. That’s where Afar comes in. By pairing our deeply researched, expert-driven storytelling with intuitive, AI-powered tools, we’re creating a more seamless path to travel for our audience and our partners.
We’re launching a strategic partnership with Mindtrip, the best-in-class AI startup. This collaboration is designed to help travelers move from inspiration to action with less friction. By pairing our deeply researched, expert-driven storytelling with intuitive, AI-powered tools, we’re creating a more seamless path to travel for our audience and our partners.
Download the full report, The Future of Content: How Brands Win in the New Age of AI Discovery, by visiting Skift.
