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From Books to Bookings: Lonely Planet Turns Travel Operator Under Red Ventures

The travel guide publisher aims to expand into travel booking.

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Lonely Planet, a nearly 50-year-old publisher that built a thriving business out of its comprehensive travel guidebooks, is embarking on a new path of its own and getting into travel bookings.

The publisher announced the debut of its official rebrand Dec. 6, which features a redesigned website, logo and business model. The announcement comes almost one year exactly after its acquisition by the digital behemoth Red Ventures. 

In a sign of the times, and on the lookout for revenue diversification, the publisher has shifted its priorities to focus on becoming a premier destination for travel booking, said Philippe Von Borries, Red Ventures’ entrepreneur-in-residence and the head of Lonely Planet. 

The publisher declined to provide specific revenue figures, but in the fourth quarter of this year, Lonely Planet only generated 60% of the revenue it generated in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to Von Borries. The publisher has long provided travel inspiration and planning advice for the would-be tourist; now it wants to own the booking and commerce components of the consumer journey.

Bookings Boon: All Consumers Want This Holiday Season Is to Travel

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to completely reinvent a well-known brand as the travel industry itself is undergoing a complete rebirth,” Von Borries said. “Lonely Planet was born because there was a lack of information about travel; now there is an overabundance of information. So our mission needs to reflect that.”

The evolution mirrors a similar transition that is slowly reshaping the publishing industry writ large, in which publishers work to compress the distance between inspiration and transaction . The shift, embodied by companies like BDG and BuzzFeed , is made possible by new technologies and a growing consumer familiarity with ecommerce. For fashion-adjacent publishers, that means offering on-site shopping for designer clothes; for Lonely Planet, it means shortening the journey between a pang of wanderlust and a booked hotel reservation.

A revamped business model

Prior to its acquisition, the primary revenue driver for Lonely Planet was its sale of guidebooks, which accounted for 31.5% of the global guidebook market, according to the publisher. Going forward, the physical products will still be available for purchase and may be used as value-adds in certain cases, but Lonely Planet is shifting focus from books to bookings.

Using the new on-site purchase functionality, consumers can research, plan and pay for their trips without leaving the Lonely Planet website. Offering the ability to perform all of these core tasks in one place ties back to the redoubled emphasis on providing utility to the engaged traveler, said svp of content and executive editor Nitya Chambers.

“We spent the early part of this year in a really significant research exercise, and one of the headlines for us was the opportunity to help more people from more backgrounds experience the joy of travel,” Chambers said. “We want to help them plan surprising, local, exciting experiences.”

The publisher also works with advertising partners, such as tourism boards, and has a blossoming affiliate business. The publisher plans to spend 2022 cultivating its audience, which will boost these lines of revenue. Lonely Planet has 6 million followers across its social media platforms, and it publishes a free weekly newsletter with over 500,000 subscribers, though the publisher wouldn’t share its open rate.

Under Red Ventures’ management

Lonely Planet suffered quickly and severely at the onset of the pandemic, shuttering its operations in Australia and London, laying off staff and halting commission of ancillary titles, like coffee table books, in April 2020.

In December, Red Ventures acquired the publication for an undisclosed amount and brought the remaining staff of 90 aboard. The headcount has since risen to 116, according to Von Borries.

Red Ventures, based in South Carolina, has built a publishing empire out of high-intent digital destinations , such as Healthline, Bankrate and CNET, that consumers often turn to when deliberating over a potential purchase. Its armada of SEO-savvy sites have turned the company into a traffic juggernaut: combined, its brands reach more than 750 million people per month, according to Comscore. 

Along with Lonely Planet, Red Ventures also owns The Points Guy , which it acquired in 2017. The two brands make up its burgeoning travel vertical, though the company plans to continue on its acquisition spree, Von Borries told Adweek. 

Onboarding Lonely Planet during the pandemic gave Red Ventures the opportunity to update and streamline the site during a period of relative hibernation. Now, with some elements of travel on the cusp of returning—Omicron notwithstanding—the publisher hopes to reemerge into a market at an opportune moment.

“We’re really intent on meeting travelers’ short-term needs, as well as helping them with long-term planning, with the pandemic as a backdrop,” Von Borries said. “Whenever they plan on traveling again, we want to be their resource.”

Mark Stenberg

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Mark Stenberg is Adweek's senior media reporter.

Red Ventures Acquires Lonely Planet

CHARLOTTE, N.C. , Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 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."

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 helpful 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.

About Red Ventures

Over the last twenty years, Red Ventures has built a portfolio of influential brands, digital platforms, and strategic partnerships that work together to connect millions of people with expert advice. Through premium content and personalized digital experiences, Red Ventures builds online journeys that make it easier for people to make important decisions about their homes, health, travel, finances, education and entertainment. Founded in 2000, Red Ventures spans 5 continents and employs more than 3,500 people. Red Ventures owns and operates several large digital brands including CNET, Healthline Media, The Points Guy, Bankrate and Allconnect.com.

For more information, visit https://redventures.com  and follow @RedVentures on social platforms.

About Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. For nearly five decades, Lonely Planet has printed over 150 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. The brand has created original content for lonelyplanet.com, mobile, video, guidebooks in 14 languages and 13 international magazine editions, children's books, lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. For more information, visit lonelyplanet.com and follow the brand on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/lonelyplanet).

Media Contact: Maghan Cook Vice President, Communications [email protected]

SOURCE Red Ventures

TPG's parent company buys Lonely Planet in major expansion of travel portfolio

Major news today in the travel industry and for The Points Guy.

TPG parent company Red Ventures announced Tuesday morning that it is buying the storied travel company Lonely Planet from NC2 Media. Terms of the deal between the two private companies were not disclosed.

For more TPG news, deals and points and miles tips delivered each morning to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter .

The purchase is a major investment by Red Ventures in another travel brand that will add a ton of incredible destination content, a rich library of guides, digital tools and new ways to research travel for TPG readers and the public at large. It's also a big expansion of Red Venture's growing travel portfolio. Lonely Planet is the number one producer of guidebooks in 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.

Lonely Planet is a trusted creator and publisher of print, online and mobile travel resources. It has produced over 150 million travel guidebooks, reaches 186 million people annually, and covers 22,000 destinations around the world.

The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly said, "I couldn't be more excited about this acquisition. As a student traveler I used their guides to travel cheaply and throughout the years I've continued to be inspired by their content and social media. It's a brand that will work well with TPG as we try to make loyalty and travel more accessible to millions of travelers."

Lonely Planet has a major catalog of guide books, phrase books and coffee table books. It has a huge contributor network, an incredible history and brand, and brings a wealth of experienced travel writers and editors as well. Lonely Planet shares a core mission with the Points Guy to help people discover the world.

Red Ventures is becoming a major player in the media business with a suite of companies all designed to help inform and educate the public. In October, Red Ventures completed another major media acquisition, buying CNET for $500 million from ViacomCBS.

Red Ventures owns and operates several other large data-driven, multifaceted digital brands including Healthline, The Points Guy, Bankrate, MYMOVE, and Allconnect.com.

The Red Ventures travel portfolio will combine Lonely Planet's existing premium online and print content with a proprietary data platform and channel expertise to create experiences designed to help more travelers research, book and enjoy their trips.

Red Ventures co-founder and CEO, Ric Elias said, "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."

"At Red Ventures we are bringing together the world's most helpful 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."

Red Ventures, The Points Guy 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.

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Lonely Planet Acquired by Red Ventures

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."

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A done deal: Red Ventures, CNET Media Group officially become one company

Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias says he's spent 20 years building a company that aims to help people make decisions about their homes, health, finances, travel and education. With Red Ventures' acquisition of CNET Media Group, that mission expands.

• Member of the board, UCLA Daily Bruin Alumni Network; advisory board, Center for Ethical Leadership in the Media

Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias

Ric Elias says the best conversation he ever had was the 30 seconds he spent shaking the hand of the man who saved his life, neither one of them saying a single word. 

That man was Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, and the conversation took place almost 10 years after US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River. Elias, one of the 155 passengers and crew on board that "miracle" Jan. 15, 2009, flight, was at a banquet honoring Sullenberger and said more was conveyed in that half minute of silence than ever could've been expressed "with any words."  

Elias shared that story with the staff of the CNET Media Group after announcing that Red Ventures, the company he co-founded in 2000, was acquiring CMG , a portfolio of brands that includes CNET, the world's largest consumer tech site, and GameSpot, a leader in video game news and reviews. His near-death experience, Elias said, gave him a new sense of purpose and urgency, driving him to focus on the things that matter and to not postpone anything in life, because of how fast the world around us can change.

It's a perspective many can appreciate given what's happened in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has pushed technology and digital services even more firmly into our lives, making consumer choices even more complicated. That fast-changing world and "massive digitization" isn't just changing the way we live, work and play, it's also disrupting businesses and business models -- including in the publishing industry, Elias says. At the same time, "we're seeing a crisis of trust in consumers," he adds. "People want great content and they want to trust the sources that provide them with that content."  

It's against that backdrop that Red Ventures and CMG officially become one company on Friday. I asked Elias to answer a few questions for our readers about why it made sense to bring these brands together. Here's what he had to say.

Members of the CNET team on the day actor John Travolta happened to stop by.

Q: Why CNET Media Group? What is it about what we do that drew your attention? Elias: First, let me state the obvious: The CNET Media Group platform includes some of the most trusted, legacy brands that have stayed ahead of trends for a  quarter of a century on the Internet . Whether you're looking at technology, gaming, entertainment, news, automotive or B2B, you have powerful brands publishing unbiased consumer advice that is second-to-none. The reach of CMG's portfolio of brands, the value they bring to people across the globe, and the potential they have to become even bigger, is what interested us in CMG. Then, when we met the leadership team and started to understand the culture, we knew our potential together would be limitless. 

We believe in the power of premium content from trusted brands, and our investment in CMG's portfolio opens the door to help more people discover information and seamlessly make decisions.

The Red Ventures London staff outside their office near Tower Bridge. 

Who is Red Ventures? What do people need to know about your company? Red Ventures has been growing for 20 years, and we still feel as if we're just getting started. When we started out, we knew we wanted to build a company that we'd like to work for, and one that would outlive us. That continues to be our ultimate goal. 

Red Ventures connects people with the tools, information and experiences they want and need in a way that enables long-term, profitable growth for our brands and partners. The core of what we do is help people make important decisions about their homes, health, finances, travel, education and technology. How we do this is constantly improving and evolving. It's our ability to adapt and learn -- and the sheer passion of our teams -- that has been our competitive advantage for all these years. 

What do you think are the challenges and opportunities for a media company, especially as consumers now have more choices than ever to find out what's happening in the world around them? We sit at a critical time and place, not just in terms of Red Ventures' future but in terms of the world around us. 

We're seeing a massive digitization across all industries, which has only been accelerated by COVID-19. That digitization is disrupting traditional media models, and we're seeing the impact of that across the world of publishing. 

In addition, we're seeing a crisis of trust in consumers; people want great content and they want to trust the sources that provide them with that content. People want relevant information and tools that are easy to find and use. They want seamless online buying experiences. At the same time, they want their privacy secured and they don't want their data sold. We believe Red Ventures is better positioned than anyone to create a model that addresses all these issues and solves these problems.

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Elektrostal, visit elektrostal, check elektrostal hotel availability, popular places to visit.

• Electrostal History and Art Museum

You can spend time exploring the galleries in Electrostal History and Art Museum in Elektrostal. Take in the museums while you're in the area.

• Cities near Elektrostal

• Places of interest
• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino
• Peter the Great Military Academy
• Bykovo Manor
• Balashikha Arena
• Ramenskii History and Art Museum
• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Balashikha Museum of History and Local Lore
• Pekhorka Park
• Orekhovo Zuevsky City Exhibition Hall
• Saturn Stadium
• Noginsk Museum and Exhibition Center

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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