Face-to-Face: Patrick A. Menhorn
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This week, Travel Daily talks to Patrick A. Menhorn, managing owner of NewspaperDirect International, about the shift towards digital newspaper offerings in the hospitality and travel industries…
Q) Can you give our readers a brief insight into NewspaperDirect, and how you work with the Asian hospitality and travel industries?
NewspaperDirect International is one of many global license partners of PressReader. We represent over 3,600 newspapers and magazines from over 100 countries and distribute their same-day print editions through our print-on-demand network in South East Asia. In Thailand, we have distribution partners in all major tourist destinations. Besides retailers, embassies, business and private clients, a large part of our business is working with hotels, resorts, cruise lines, restaurants, hospitals and airlines.
We are particularly good at servicing a target market or a specific segment as we can supply the newspaper in demand at any chosen day. With the large selection we carry, we can provide almost any American, Arabic, Russian, European or Asian newspaper guests would like to read – sometimes before the issue is even available in their home country. We are also an agent for the award-winning PressReader HotSpot solution, which has really taken off with hotels.
Q) Are people still reading print newspapers, or are you seeing a decline in the wake of new online/mobile options?
Based on the latest global figures by the World Association of Newspapers, 75% of global readers still read print but that number is declining and publishers are looking to other innovative ways to distribute their content.
There is definitely a significant shift to accessing more news on mobile devices among some travelers but there is sometimes still demand for print editions, particularly in the high-end segment and the hospitality sector. Many people still enjoy the experience of reading a print edition but also access news online regularly.
Q) PressReader, the online newspaper service, recently signed a global deal with Accor for online newspaper and magazine coverage; does this reflect a major shift in the industry?
Accor is one of many partners PressReader now works with brand-wide, and it’s definitely representative of a big shift in the industry. Switching to PressReader allows hotels to provide a huge amount of content, personalised for each and every one of their guests. It’s an effortless solution for their staff too – far less work than delivering papers door to door. The value for hotels is obvious, which is why we’ve seen PressReader take off so much in that industry.
Q) And is the move online being driven by hotels wanting to save costs, or by demand from tech-savvy guests?
The great thing about technological innovations is that they often add huge value for everyone involved, and PressReader is no exception. The benefits for hotels in terms of reduced work and environmental impact are clear, but the value for guests is huge as well. They can also download their favorite titles and take them with them on their devices, so it’s really like a luxury amenity compared to the traditional newspaper.
Q) Do you believe that PressReader will eventually spell the end of print newspapers in hotels, or will there always be a need for print?
PressReader is proud to support the publishing industry, and there are many, many cases where print copies are still an important part of their distribution strategy. Obviously there is a big shift to digital and there is a huge amount of untapped potential there, so they’re just focused on helping publishers take advantage of the opportunities that digital provides.
Q) Are you working with airlines to take advantage of the increasing availability of lounge and in-flight Wi-Fi?
PressReader works with a number of airlines, and they have some interesting technological innovations in the works tailored to this segment. I think this is an important space to watch.
Q) What further developments from NewspaperDirect and PressReader can we expect in 2015?
At NewspaperDirect International, we’re seeing a lot of growth and we recently expanded to Myanmar. We’re particularly excited about this as we see great potential in this fast-developing tourist destination. As for PressReader, they have exciting new announcements happening all the time so I’d recommending following them on social media (@PressReader) to stay on top of what’s happening there.
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NewspaperDirect offers free trials for any of their solutions, please contact Patrick A. Menhorn at Headoffice@NewspaperDirect-Asia.com for more information.
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