BBC Buys Lonely Planet

-- Publishers Weekly, 10/1/2007 7:51:00 AM

The international travel publisher Lonely Planet has been acquired by an equally internationally minded organization, BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC. Founded in 1973 and based in Australia, Lonely Planet has extensive publishing operations in the U.S. and U.K., and its books are sold in more than 200 countries. Founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler will retain a 25% stake in the company, which will continue to be run by CEO Judy Slatyer. Its corporate headquarters will remain in Melbourne.

In statements, both the Wheelers and Etienne de Villiers, nonexecutive chairman of BBC, said BBC’s global presence as well as its growing digital businesses made the company the right fit for Lonely Planet. In addition to publishing more than 500 titles annually, Lonely Planet has a growing television production arm, Lonely Planet Television, and robust presence on the Internet; its home page receives 4.3 million unique visitors a month and its year-old lonelyplanet.tv includes original Lonely Planet videos as well as videos from other travelers.