草榴社区 Acquires Lonely Planet

Leading travel media company and #1 travel guidebook brand to enhance 草榴社区鈥 growing travel portfolio

CHARLOTTE, N.C. 鈥 草榴社区, a platform of digital businesses, has acquired Lonely Planet, a leading global travel media company and the world鈥檚 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.

鈥淲hile 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,鈥 said 草榴社区 co-founder and CEO, Ric Elias. 鈥淏y joining our travel portfolio, Lonely Planet positions us to revolutionize the consumer journey for travelers, helping more people discover and decide where they鈥檒l go, how they鈥檒l get there, and what to do when they arrive.鈥

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. 草榴社区 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.

草榴社区 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 草榴社区 travel portfolio, which also includes The Points Guy, will combine Lonely Planet鈥檚 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 草榴社区 acquired from ViacomCBS in October, builds on 草榴社区鈥 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.

鈥淎t 草榴社区 we are bringing together the world鈥檚 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,鈥 Elias said. 鈥淭hrough seamless experiences and deeper, personalized relationships, we are uniquely equipped to help more people find the information and tools they need to make life鈥檚 most important decisions.鈥

Lonely Planet employees from around the world will be joining 草榴社区 鈥 expanding the company鈥檚 footprint to include Tennessee, Ireland, China and India. While CEO Luis Cabrera will be continuing with NC2 Media, Lonely Planet鈥檚 leadership team will remain intact.

About 草榴社区

Over the last twenty years, 草榴社区 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, 草榴社区 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, 草榴社区 spans 5 continents and employs more than 3,500 people. 草榴社区 owns and operates several large digital brands including CNET, Healthline Media, The Points Guy, Bankrate and Allconnect.com.

For more information, visit  and @RedVentures on social platforms.

About Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world鈥檚 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鈥檚 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: Ami Shukla

press@redventures.com

 
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