“Viajeros magazine has strived to become an informative benchmark in the passenger transport sector in Spain,” states Luis Gómez-Llorente, director of the publication, in this interview granted to our www. Gómez-Llorente reflects on the trajectory of the communication group he leads and how it faces the new challenges generated by the irruption of new digital information channels. In addition, the director of Viajeros assures that our company, Grupo Castrosua, has always maintained a communication policy “at the height of its important goals, clearly and transparently conveying its philosophy and objectives.”
1.- Viajeros magazine is a family-origin communication project, what did it mean for you to take over the reins of the publication from your father?
Above all, it was a great personal challenge filled with hopes and challenges that, as a whole, has been and continues to be a wonderful and enriching experience. For me, “taking over the reins” was a very gradual process given that I had the immense fortune of working alongside him for many years under his direction, which gave me the great opportunity to receive his business values and knowledge. We moved from a teacher-student relationship where I received the fruits of his experience. Years later, I took over the publication as director, with the difficult task of filling the huge gap he left upon his retirement but with the excitement of the new challenge that was beginning. Now, 11 years later, my team and I continue to work, always maintaining the initial values of this project as part of our business DNA, so that Viajeros magazine remains a medium of recognized prestige and legitimacy. My father passed away three years ago, but his work philosophy remains present in our newsroom, and we will keep it alive.
2.- How has the publication you direct evolved since its inception? Is there more competition today than at the beginning of your activity?
Since its beginnings in 1995, Viajeros magazine has strived to become and remain an informative benchmark in the passenger transport sector in Spain. The publication, the team, the distribution, and the communication channels have continuously evolved over the years to adapt to the information demands of professionals in this field. One of the milestones that demonstrates our commitment to innovation, which was one of my father’s priorities, was the launch of www.revistaviajeros.com in 1998 and its news bulletin (“Viajeros Noticias Express”) just a few months later. Two decades ago, when the digital world was taking its first steps and there were still many unknowns about its evolution, Viajeros was a pioneer and remained the only medium in the sector on the Internet for many years.
Indeed, today we face a greater number of media outlets, which have brought greater richness and diversity of information. The arrival of new publications has forced us to strive and work with maximum intensity to continue improving every day. Maintaining that level of demand may have been costly and difficult at times, but it is essential to remain a benchmark in our sector after more than 20 years. Readers now demand immediacy and quality in information, and we try to provide it by investing in new technologies, which also allow us to accurately measure the reach and relevance of different media. Therefore, we are also present on social media, and we believe that 2.0 information is already the new turning point of our profession.
3.- You have recently redesigned your web portal, what are the reasons for the changes made?
Yes, during the past year we redesigned the Viajeros magazine website (www.revistaviajeros.com). It is the fourth version since its launch in 1998. As I mentioned earlier, online communication has become a fundamental pillar for any medium. The information model is changing, and if we turn our backs on this evolution, which maintains a dizzying pace, we run the risk of being left out of the game. Just as manufacturers constantly renew vehicles to meet the needs of operators, all members of the Viajeros magazine team are immersed in a continuous training process to gain firsthand knowledge of the latest trends and to make the most of all the digital platforms available to us.
Websites defined a new way of informing, but with the irruption of social media and mobile devices, the level of demand has increased: news must arrive almost in real-time. We are working to achieve maximum immediacy because we are aware that our readers may demand information at any time and anywhere in the world.
4.- Do you think that specialized print publications are numbered or is there a future compared to the online sphere?
Our firm commitment to digital does not mean we forget our origins, far from it. The print version remains the best medium for in-depth analysis of all the news in the passenger transport sector. For many of Viajeros magazine’s readers, a long interview or a technical test remain inextricably linked to our print version.
From the beginning, we have been clear that both media are complementary, and I am convinced that they will continue to coexist harmoniously for many years to come. We are working to increase the interconnection between them, as it is an excellent opportunity to multiply the audience and impact of the content that appears in Viajeros and www.revistaviajeros.com.
The immediacy and fluidity of digital cannot compete with the relaxed reading that print offers us, and vice versa. Their charms are incomparable.
5.- How many people make up the magazine’s team? What type of information do they focus on most frequently?
Currently, the editorial team consists of three people and a select group of specialized collaborators in various areas (legislation, technical tests, opinion…). In addition, the magazine features official and exclusive sections from Ascabús (National Association of Bus Body Manufacturers) and Aetram (Association of Coach Transport Entrepreneurs of Madrid).
Our main readers are transport operators, and we try to give maximum prominence to the issues that are of interest to them at any given time. Current events define a good part of the content of each issue, but many topics are always present in the pages of Viajeros: regulations, efficiency, sustainability…
6.- I imagine that over all these years you have received many opinions about your work, who are the target audiences for the magazine and what feedback do you receive from these audiences?
Fortunately, we have a large legion of loyal readers, many of whom have been with us since the first issues. They are part of the Viajeros family, and their opinions and advice over these two decades have been very valuable in shaping the magazine we know today.
Obviously, during this long trajectory, we have also received some criticism. These observations, although it may seem otherwise, are also welcome and positive because they have prevented us from falling into the temptation of stagnating in our comfort zone and have allowed us to discover aspects where we had room for improvement.
Throughout all these years at the helm of Viajeros magazine, I have learned that you must always listen to readers with the utmost attention because they have a privileged point of view, which makes them our best allies in continuing to increase the quality of the publication.
7.- What is your assessment of Grupo Castrosua’s trajectory? How do you value Grupo Castrosua’s information policy?
The relationship between Grupo Castrosua and Viajeros magazine has been very close for over three decades. My father, Jesús Gómez Llorente, the founder of the publishing group Editec, always maintained an excellent relationship with Mr. José Castro, founder of Grupo Castrosua. This friendship arose from the collaboration between the two, which began even before the creation of their respective companies. They shared values such as ethics, education, professionalism, and a vision for the future, which undoubtedly are very present today in Grupo Castrosua’s corporate identity.
The company became the undisputed leader in the urban bus sector under the capable hand of José Manuel Castro and has reinvented itself by re-entering the coach sector and initiating a highly successful internationalization phase under the leadership of Juan Luis and Beatriz Castro.
Castrosua has invested in innovation in economically difficult times, always striving to offer new quality products and creating strategic alliances for continued growth. Its information policy has always been at the height of its important goals, clearly and transparently conveying its philosophy and objectives without ever losing closeness with the media.
In short, I believe that the most important thing about Grupo Castrosua’s success is its human team, most certainly its most precious capital.
From here, we want to thank Luis for his willingness and kindness. It has been a pleasure for us to conduct this interview!
