11 years
hey brian - any idea how we get in touch with someone to make sure listings are updated?
BBC sold Lonely Planet - good for hostels?
Promoting the Hostel Movement
Lonely Planet was recently sold again. The BBC bought Lonely Planet in 2007. It proved to be a bit of a challenge at times. They sold it in March 2013 to NC2Media (Nashville, TN, USA) for $77.3 million. That is less than half the price that BBC originally paid.
U.S. billionaire buys Lonely Planet travel guides
"The challenge and promise before us is to marry the world's greatest travel information and guidebook company with the limitless potential of 21st century digital technology,'' Daniel Houghton, executive director of NC2 Media, said in a statement. "If we can do this, and I believe we can, we can build a business that, while remaining true to the things that made Lonely Planet great in the past, promises to make it even greater in the future."
It looks like we can expect to see more digital media and technology from Lonely Planet now. I recently received an email from the LP writer for my area announcing that the latest version of their mobile app has been updated and requesting any changes to my hostel’s information for the next update, scheduled to release soon.
This could be great for hostels, because up-to-date information could be added to the app much faster than a printed guidebook.
- Comments
11 years
I asked who you should talk to and how you should contact them.
Several Lonely Planet authors work on the California book and, due to the nature of freelancing, they are always changing, so the best way to ensure that your friend’s information gets to the correct author for her region in the next California book (and the correct editor) is to submit the information here: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/contact/business_listing/new
This link applies to anyone else who needs to update their listing too.
11 years
Seven months after the BBC sold Lonely Planet to NC2Media, LP has acquired trip planner TouristEye.
Lonely Planet in acquisition mood, buys trip planner TouristEye
Lonely Planet says the acquisition was made because of TouristEye’s expertise in mobile and online community building and the team will be tasked with helping it “create and build innovative travel products”.
The Thorn Tree is Lonely Planet’s existing forum and community.
Camus says the TouristEye brand will continue to operate and the company “will work with LP’s technology team to marry our technology and community with theirs where and when it makes sense”.
TouristEye claims to have a community of its own of some 500,000 travellers, using both its desktop and mobile applications – its Android app is being updated next week, Camus says.
10 years
Here’s a different take on how the move towards electronic guides may affect hostels.
Is it becoming a lonelier planet?
It is not just the publishers who are affected by the move toward electronic travel research; destinations could also be feeling an impact.
World-famous cities such as Prague or internationally known spa destinations like Karlovy Vary are unlikely to face problems, but the less well-known locations could be affected.
At the Poets’ Corner Hostel in Olomouc, for example, a notice implores travelers to spread the word about the hostel because “each year, fewer people buy guidebooks, and more plan their travel just using the Internet.”
“That’s bad for us, because Olomouc is not famous, and people who don’t know it, or can’t spell it, can’t Google it and will never find out about it,” it continues.
A Czech Republic or Central Europe guidebook is likely to feature Olomouc and its main attractions, but people researching online may never hear about the city, or other similar smaller destinations.
While the notice was put up by his predecessor, the Poets’ Corner’s current owner, Ian Martin, a 43-year-old Australian, also said the move toward electronic travel research is a concern.
“There’s definitely a backpacker trail going from Prague to Krakow to Budapest. They’re missing out on small places like Olomouc. ... People looking at travel options online will often be steered to one place,” he said.
Do you think hostels in cities that are off the main tourist routes will be disadvantaged by the change to an electronic format?
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