INTERVIEW WITH SHEENA BHATTESSA

Written for Fashion & Beauty Monitor

Founded in 2017, Citizen Femme has quickly become the handbook for female travellers looking to navigate the world in a more elevated and thought-provoking way. The outlet now speaks to an audience of over 1,000,000 a month through a digital portal, social media platforms, a podcast, newsletters and events and is the leading digital destination and guide for globetrotting women.

British Indian journalist, Sheena Bhattessa founded Citizen Femme after spotting a gap in the market for a stylish travel guide aimed at the female viewpoint. With a background in PR and acting, Sheena grew up within a family of hoteliers.

We caught up with Sheena this week, to talk PR pitches, podcasts and partners…

What is your USP?

When I started Citizen Femme, many of the mainstream magazines hadn’t really thrived yet in the online space. It felt like there was a real gap in the market for a female-led travel and lifestyle publication that spoke to me like a best friend would. This is our USP, we are one of the first publications to speak directly to the female traveller and recognise the impact we were having on the market. Especially if you consider facts like women make close to 85% of all travel decisions, and they have an estimated $15 trillion in spending power.

How did you notice a gap in the market for publications aimed at the female traveller?

It was on a trip to Turkey with a group of friends about seven years ago. Instagram was booming and people were tagging their travel more than anything. There was a huge curiosity around where people were going, staying, eating. But it wouldn’t really lead to booking a hotel or restaurant, or buying something fashion or beauty, via the platform, as there was a lack of truth. It made me think, where would I really go to get that honest and authoritative recommendation. And who is really speaking to my demographic as a female traveller? This was the genesis of Citizen Femme.

Where is the last place you travelled to?

I went to The Chedi Andermatt, Switzerland. A sensational property with outstanding service.

What kinds of PR pitches would get covered on the site?

We have no issue being sent lots of information. We cover travel (hotel openings, news, destination spotlights), interviews are very popular across fashion, beauty and lifestyle, but we always want it to be travel related whether it’s a Suitcase Series or an insider guide. Lifestyle has grown hugely on the site, so we welcome interesting long-form story pieces or for galleries which the fashion and beauty team work on weekly. Anything that we can use as video content is really helpful too as it’s a huge part of our growth strategy and the way in which audiences consume media now. 

How do you think the pandemic affected demand for luxury travel?

I think the appetite grew with travel plans being created for as soon as we can. For our demographic certainly, they were back on a train or plane as soon as they could, albeit with more considered travel plans. Longer trips, with hotels being a big part of a holiday booking. Travel was missed so much, longed for even during the pandemic, that the boom has now surpassed expectations and luxury travel is not going anywhere. The only thing that is considered is what is luxury. It’s not always about spending more money, its gaining something out of your trip, wellbeing or otherwise. So, we want to ensure everything we write about and cover caters to someone looking to enhance their travel experience. We want to make sure our readers don’t waste a minute in the wrong place.

Tell us about the podcast.

We are starting Season 5 in 2023. Our first 2 seasons ‘Passport To…’ featured roundtable discussions with such brilliant, interesting women, from wellbeing in travel, to running a boutique hotel, to photography skills. They translated brilliantly from our editorial into 20-30 minute easy-to-listen-to conversations. Our Season 3 was during the pandemic – of course, no travel – so we talked to 12 incredible female entrepreneurs about their journeys. We had Monica Vinader to Alice Temperley, Fiona Leahy to Romola Garai. 

Do you cater to your 8% male audience?

Not properly but it’s certainly something we are thinking about growing!

Where in the world are the majority of your readers from?

Mostly UK, followed by a good 30% in the US and parts of Europe.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I’ve taken risks, I’ve not been afraid to start a new business. But I would always set myself timelines. I’d say don’t compare yourself to others, you are on your own journey. And if you’re good at something and enjoy it, have confidence in yourself. 

Tell us about your brand partners.

We work with fashion, beauty, arts, food and drink brands, travel including hotels to tourist boards to tour operators. The goal is the same, to create beautiful and engaging content. The brands we work with want to target women with disposable income in their late 20s to late 30s which is exactly who we speak to. And they are always brands we, as a team, would use and enjoy ourselves.

How would you describe your Instagram aesthetic?

Until more recently, we have curated beautiful lifestyle imagery from people who tag @citizenfemme or #citizenfemme showcasing the travels of our followers and the stories that we share. We have an amazing community who share and write about their experiences for us located all over the world. Now we are building much of our own video and photography content. 

Are there any influencers or celebrities you’d love to interview?

Women doing brilliant initiatives in any field. For example, Cate Blanchett to Arianna Huffington to Indra Nooyi.

Plans for the future?

So exciting! We have just started our monthly “Citizens At The Table” supper clubs and we have some collaborations coming up next year as well as really building out our niche as the go to destination if you want to speak to the female traveller. It’s all go-go-go at the CF HQ.