WAITSFIELD, VT – Discovery Map International, Inc., the leading provider of curated guides to top tourist attractions, cities and towns throughout North America, recently announced a publisher’s division to attract owners of print and online publications to its network of franchise owners and to better serve current franchise owners from the publishing industry.
Discovery Maps are colorful, hand-drawn maps that have become a favorite of travelers for navigating local dining, attractions, businesses, cultural experiences and tourist destinations. The focus will be to market to publishers looking to diversify media offerings and expand their print and digital portfolios.
“In the 21st century, many media outlets are looking to get creative and find new sources of revenue. Owning a Discovery Map franchise gives publishers an additional outlet for current advertisers as well as a way to attract new ones,” said Peter Hans, president of Discovery Map International, Inc. “We have several franchise owners with publishing backgrounds who have provided a ‘road map’ on how a we can complement an existing publication and add revenue to their bottom line, he added”
For the past four years, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina resident Abby Simon has helped natives and tourists discover Charleston with her publication Charleston Inside/Out. In purchasing a Discovery Map franchise, she decided to add to her publishing empire and put her hometown quite literally on the map.
“Mount Pleasant is a city of more than 80,000 people and it shows up on pretty much every top 10 list for best places to live in South Carolina,” said Simon, who, in addition to Discovery Map of Mount Pleasant and Charleston Inside/Out, publishes Man About Town. “Mount Pleasant has also become a popular tourist destination for visitors both on their way to and from Charleston. People are going to love our map because, up until now, there really has been no map for visitors that clearly shows the many fun things you can do in Mount Pleasant.”
Added Abby, “From a work perspective, owning a Discovery Map franchise made sense as I was already in touch with many of these advertisers due to my other publications. So, having Discovery Map in my tool chest provides an additional resource to court advertisers.”
Discovery Map has more than 130 maps across the U.S. and Canada. It is the charge of franchise owner to sell advertising space on the map and the online version of the map, available at discoverymap.com. The typical franchise owner will publish a printed map once or twice per year, depending on the initial print run and the popularity of the map.
Discovery Map franchise owners come from many walks of life. In addition to publishers, some are corporate refugees or semi-retired individuals looking to build a business and fund their full retirement. Others include recent college grads, as well as mothers (and fathers) looking to build a business with hours around the kids’ school schedules. With the advent of the veteran’s program, Discovery Maps are hoping to attract veterans as well.
“Discovery Map is truly a unique and appealing franchise opportunity. It’s not a 9-to-5 gig and you don’t necessarily have to work 12 months a year to run a successful franchise. You just have to be willing to work hard when you work,” said Hans.
Forbes Magazine recently named Discovery Map® one of the top 10 franchises to buy with an initial investment under $150,000. In 2018, it won the Top 50 Franchisee Satisfaction Award based on a survey conducted by FranchiseBusinessReview.
About Discovery Map
Discovery Map International is the country’s leading provider of curated guides to top tourist destinations, cities and towns throughout North America. The distinctively colorful, hand-drawn maps are a favorite of travelers for navigating local dining, attractions, businesses, cultural experiences, ski destinations – and even the best locations to take selfies. Discovery Maps can be found in local hotels, restaurants, shops, visitor information centers and other participating venues, and at discoverymap.com. Named by Forbes as “one of the best franchises to buy” in 2015, Discovery Maps International is headquartered in Waitsfield, VT, in the heart of the Green Mountains.