Travel Weekly has made key staff changes involving the publication’s destination sections and focus issues, and its coverage of the cruise industry.
Johanna Jainchill, who joined the paper in 2006 as cruise editor, has been named destinations editor, effective June 1. She replaces Kenneth Kiesnoski, who resigned in April as destinations editor.
Jainchill will not only oversee all Travel Weekly’s destination sections but also manage issues tied to the Readers Choice Awards and Magellan Awards as well as such key focus issues as Power List, Consumer Trends and Travel Industry Survey.
“This promotion expands upon a six-year reporting career at Travel Weekly during which Johanna has distinguished herself throughout the industry with her coverage of the cruise and retail beats,” said Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann. “She has proven herself a savvy, creative journalist with finely tuned news judgment, who also happens to be well organized and highly efficient — qualities that we know will serve our readers and advertisers well.”
Jainchill joined Travel Weekly from the New York Times, where she had been an editorial and research assistant to columnist Bob Herbert.
Weissmann also announced that Kate Rice, a veteran travel trade journalist and travel blogger, will become senior editor for cruise effective June 18, the opening day of Travel Weekly’s CruiseWorld event in Seattle.
She replaces Donna Tunney, who resigned as cruise editor in early May.
“In a way, this is a homecoming for Kate, who began her career at Travel Weekly in 1984 as associate editor for cruise, Alaska and special sections,” Weissmann said. “We think it’s wonderful Kate has come full circle.”
Most recently, Rice was executive editor for Travalliance, covering technology, retail and airlines.
Her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New Yorker, Travel + Leisure, Golf Digest, ABCNews.com, Elite Traveler and the Financial Times, among other publications.
In 2000 and 2001, Rice was director of information services for PhoCusWright. Before that, she had stints as a senior editor at Leisure Travel News and Business Traveler International.