Lonely Planet travel guides

Lonely Planet is a globally recognized travel media brand founded in 1973 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler. It gained fame for its comprehensive guidebooks, which began with 'Across Asia on the Cheap.' The brand has since become a cornerstone of the travel industry, offering insights across print, digital, and video platforms.

Over the decades, ownership of the brand has shifted from its founders to larger media conglomerates. It was acquired by BBC Worldwide (now BBC Studios) in stages between 2007 and 2011, then sold to NC2 Media in 2013. Since 2020, it has been owned by Red Ventures, an American media company that focuses on integrating the brand's extensive travel data into a modern digital ecosystem. While editorial offices remain globally distributed, the guidebooks themselves are printed in multiple countries to serve regional markets efficiently.