Red Ventures, a platform of digital businesses, has acquired Lonely Planet, a leading global travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand from NC2 Media for an undisclosed amount. As a trusted provider of print, online and mobile travel resources, Lonely Planet has produced over 150 million travel guidebooks, reaches 186 million people annually, and covers 22,000 destinations around the world.
“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 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.”
Lonely Planet has provided inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler for nearly 50 years. The international brand has helped hundreds of millions of travelers worldwide learn and enjoy amazing adventures each year through digital and print content, including mobile experiences and sought-after local guidebooks. Red Ventures aims to propel Lonely Planet into the digital era while remaining committed to publishing the guidebooks that have made Lonely Planet the iconic brand it is today.
Red Ventures and Lonely Planet share the belief that travel can be a force for good, and together will aim to enable more travelers to safely and responsibly navigate the world as they venture back into it. The Red Ventures travel portfolio, which also includes The Points Guy, will combine Lonely Planet’s existing premium content with a proprietary data platform and channel expertise to create end-to-end experiences designed to help more travelers research, book and enjoy their trips.
The Lonely Planet acquisition, along with CNET Media Group, which Red Ventures acquired from ViacomCBS in October, builds on Red Ventures’ vision of transforming the future of consumer journeys by bringing together personalized digital content with data-led insights and products to help consumers discover and decide across a variety of industries.
“At Red Ventures we are bringing together the world’s most and trusted brands with a digital marketing platform and methodology that allows us to super-serve the millions of people that use our services every day,” Elias said. “Through seamless experiences and deeper, personalized relationships, we are uniquely equipped to help more people find the information and tools they need to make life’s most important decisions.”
Lonely Planet employees from around the world will be joining Red Ventures – expanding the company’s footprint to include Tennessee, Ireland, China and India. While CEO Luis Cabrera will be continuing with NC2 Media, Lonely Planet’s leadership team will remain intact.
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