John Wiley & Sons has sold the Frommer's brand to Google for an undisclosed amount. The deal is a sign of Google's play to increase its presence in the travel business. Google will decide whether to move Frommer's to an entirely online resource--and also whether they will combine it with Zagat, another local review property, which Google purchased for $151 million in 2011.
According to a statment, Wiley & Sons is also intending "to explore opportunities to sell a number of its consumer print and digital publishing assets in its Professional/Trade business as they no longer align with the company's long-term business strategy." Those assets include travel, culinary, general interest, Webster's New World, CliffsNotes, and others.
