Tony and Maureen Wheeler met on a park bench in Regent's Park over 30 years ago. A year later they were married, and for their honeymoon they decided to cross Europe and Asia across the continents, ending up in Australia. The trip took a few months and all of their money, leaving them in Sydney the day after Christmas 1972 with only 27 cents between them and hundreds of memories of unforgettable people they had met and places they had explored. It was the beginning of their adventure, which is still in progress.
Their European/Asian adventure was too amazing for them to keep to themselves. So the following year they spent every waking hour at their kitchen table writing their first book together, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week after its publication, the book had sold 1500 copies. Thus was the beginning of Lonely Planet, the Wheeler's publication company.
Two years later they continued their literary odyssey with Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, followed by books describing their travel adventures in Australia, Nepal, India, and Africa, and so on and so on. Their books and their brand gradually became known and loved around the world, and over the years Tony and Maureen received several offers from people who wanted to buy their company. But they were very close to the company they had begun on a shoestring budget with nothing but memories and wanderlust, so they were hesitant to sell it to anyone who would tarnish the mission they had when they started typing their first book.
In 2007 they found a partner in BBC Worldwide, the main commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide acquired a 75% share in Lonely Planet, promising to uphold the Wheeler's commitment to independent travel, trustworthy advice, and editorial independence.
Today Lonely Planet has over 500 staff members and 300 authors, with offices in London, Melbourne, and Oakland. Tony and Maureen are traveling more often than ever, but they are still very actively involved in Lonely Planet. They devote all their spare time to charitable projects, and the company is still founded on the philosophy they shared when they wrote Across Asia on the Cheap: All you've got to do is decide to go, and the hardest part is over.
In November 2008 the company published Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009. The book draws on the passion, knowledge, and experiences of Lonely Planet's authors and staff to provide a year's worth of inspirational commentary to encourage readers to leave their comfortable, ordinary routines and dive into some unforgettable adventures. The book contains a comprehensive guide to the world's hottest destinations, including 30 "must-go" destinations in the top 10 countries, regions, and cities in the world. There is an annual rundown of every country in the world, to give readers a complete "world view" of what traveling in various countries will be like. A special feature showcases 70 journeys on, through, and over water. In addition, there are 850 travel experiences documented by Lonely Planet authors, from stargazing in the Caribbean to finding the perfect midlife crisis getaway.
"At Lonely Planet we like to say that our writers go to the end of the road," says Tony Wheeler. "And they damn well better. Because I go to the end of the road."
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