Adkom managing director and publisher, Olivier Burlot, said: "This (acquisition) will help build the credibility of World Geographic, and will push the title further as there will be synergies across China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. We can then present an integrated offer to advertisers who want a Greater China reach."
The move has also led to the departure of co-founder and publisher Robert Houston.
Action Asia, which has a circulation of almost 37,000, will launch a Chinese version before year-end, according to Burlot, who added that no editorial changes would be made to the title's English version.
"We have taken a bit of the 'mud and gore' out of it (Action Asia) to widen the appeal ... There is a lot more competition today, and this includes Cable TV channels Nat Geo and Discovery. Even other magazines have a strong focus on travel now, such as Time's Asia Voyage section, and we realised there was a need for a change in management to be more powerful and aggressive."
