According to Maureen Wheeler, BBC Worldwide is "committed to keeping the publishing side going". In an online video, the Wheelers reassure Lonely Planet fans (and staff!) that, despite the BBC Worldwide deal, the company will continue to produce printed travel guides. This is obviously a big concern to Lonely Planet fans, as many comments on various blogs and websites illustrate.
"Overall, I think it's pretty good news, hopefully we will see an expansion of LP, which can't be a bad thing because everything they did seems to be pretty solid. Only concern: I HOPE THE BEAN COUNTERS AT THE BBC DO NOT PHASE OUT GUIDEBOOKS TO LESS-TRAVELED LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF LOW BOOK SALES, " said one poster on the Lonely Planet Travel Blog.
Others voiced concerns over the commercialisation of the guide books. "As soon as ITV bought friendsreunited, i took my details off it as I've no desire to be bombarded with ITV product spam. I'll not buy another lonely planet guide again just in case it starts to fill up with references to BBC programmes," threatened a spectator on Chris Tryhorn's Guardian Unlimited blog.
The question is, will travellers continue to lug around large tomes, or will they soon be taking their laptops instead? Or perhaps we'll soon see travellers preparing their very own itineraries and guides, using online travel sources, and taking these with them either in electronic or hardcopy form.
Who knows?
(C) Calmer, 2007.
I think people have enough
I can't see travel guides
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