Lonely Planet, the venerable publisher of travel guides, children's and food books, has been sold to Red Ventures by its owner NC2 Media for an undisclosed sum. Red Ventures is a growing digital media platform that owns several prominent online brands, including CNET, Healthline Media, The Points Guy, Bankrate and Allconnect.com.
Lonely Planet will continue to be run by Piers Pickard, who serves as publisher and v-p print and is based in the U.K. “Lonely Planet has always been committed to making the world’s best guidebooks,” said Pickard, noting that in recent years the company has added coffee table books, educational children’s books, and some food publications. "Our book focus is unwavering and we will continue to produce titles that inspire, surprise and help travelers plan their perfect trip," he said.
Pickard told PW that the 2021 list, to be released under the Lonely Planet, Lonely Planet Kids, and Lonely Planet Food imprints, is nearly done and planning for titles to be released in 2022 and 2023 is underway. Hachette Book Group will remain Lonely Planet's sales and distribution partner in the U.S.
Current Lonely Planet CEO Luis Cabrera, who joined the company in February 2019, will remain with NC2 Media.
"While the travel industry is experiencing an unprecedented downturn, we believe it will come back stronger than ever, and no brand represents the magic of the modern explorer better than Lonely Planet," said Red Ventures co-founder and CEO, Ric Elias. "By joining our travel portfolio, Lonely Planet positions us to revolutionize the consumer journey for travelers, helping more people discover and decide where they'll go, how they'll get there, and what to do when they arrive."
