Wall Street Journal to Launch New Travel Service Offering Customizable Packages for Consumers

NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Wall Street Journal today announced the launch of WSJtravel (http://WSJtravel.com), a new service offering customizable experiences to domestic and international destinations, including Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and Australia. Available to all consumers, WSJtravel will offer nearly 50 travel packages at launch, spanning a range of budget levels, with more to be added in the coming weeks. 

“WSJtravel is the latest extension of The Wall Street Journal franchise and we established this service to offer something truly unique and distinct to travelers,” said Imtiaz Patel, vice president of group sales and strategy for The Wall Street Journal.  “WSJtravel vacations will let individuals, couples or families experience a destination from the Journal’s viewpoint through a collection of trips that enrich a traveler’s knowledge and immerse them into a particular destination.”

WSJtravel offers two levels of vacation experiences, Signature and Classic. Though differentiated by their complexity and inclusions, these trips are identical from a quality and customer experience perspective.

• WSJtravel Signature Vacations are premier experiences epitomized not only by their source of inspiration, but also by their unique combination of destinations, activities and sensory experiences. These vacations are designed for those who have a desire to see and do something beyond the ordinary.
• WSJtravel Classic Vacations offers travelers who are interested in more than an air, hotel and sight-seeing experience, a primer for their chosen destination. 

In addition to destination-based trips, customers will find a number of thematic, unique trips, such as Wine and Food in Napa Valley, which includes dinners at Michelin-rated restaurants and invitations to wineries that aren’t open to the general public. A Bibliophiles trip to Tuscany offers a week’s stay in a 1,000-year-old castle, along with daily classes, talks, seminars and museum visits at the castle, as well as in Florence, through the Tuscan countryside and in Siena, tying rare book collecting into the adventure. A culinary journey through Vietnam immerses travelers into the essence of the people and society of Vietnam. This trip offers a real understanding and perspective into the Vietnamese culture.

The Journal has partnered with Advanced Travel Center LLC on this new initiative.

WSJtravel is operated independently of The Wall Street Journal’s news department, as the Journal maintains separate news and business operations. To learn more about WSJtravel, please go to www.WSJtravel.com or call 1-888-WSJ-Trip.

About The Wall Street Journal

Founded in 1889, The Wall Street Journal is the world's leading business publication. Boasting more than two million subscribers, the Journal is the largest newspaper by total paid circulation and has the largest individually paid circulation of the top 25 U.S. newspapers. The Wall Street Journal franchise, with a global audience of 3.8 million, also comprises The Wall Street Journal Asia, The Wall Street Journal Europe and The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, the leading provider of business and financial news and analysis on the Web with more than one million subscribers and 26 million users per month.  WSJ.com is the flagship site of The Wall Street Journal Digital Network, which also includes MarketWatch.com, Barrons.com and AllThingsD.com. The Wall Street Journal Radio Network services news and information to more than 375 radio stations in the U.S. The Journal holds 33 Pulitzer Prizes for outstanding journalism, and, in 2009, was ranked No. 1 in BtoB's Media Power 50 for the 10th consecutive year. 

The Wall Street Journal logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2641