Lonely Planet to Revamp Its Guidebooks, Starting With China

Luis Cabrera, the newest CEO of travel guidebook company Lonely Planet, plans to use its growing business in China as a way to test out new digital opportunities. Cabrera was appointed in February, replacing former CEO Daniel Houghton, and has since focused on increasing Lonely Planet’s distribution platform beyond the company’s traditional print guidebook. Currently, Cabrera said, the business is undergoing a research project for the “next evolution” of guides, in order to reach out to younger generations of travelers. Lonely Planet's biggest customer growth right now is in non-English speaking regions, especially China, Cabrera told Skift at the Travel Disruption Summit in New York Wednesday. As a result of this, the trave