My name is Matthew Firestone, and I am a freelance writer for Lonely Planet.
Or should I say BBC Worldwide?
Today, Tony and Maureen Wheeler, who founded Lonely Planet in 1972, sold majority control of the company to BBC Worldwide.
“We felt that BBC Worldwide would provide a platform true to our vision and values, while allowing us to take the business to the next level,” they said.
The BBC said that the deal would strengthen Lonely Planet’s visibility and growth potential, and would allow the guidebook company to access BBC online content.
Currently, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, Oakland and London, with more than 500 office employees and 300 plus on-the-road authors (including me).