Culture Trip and Lonely Planet announce strategic commercial partnership to reset travel

Brands will focus on a more sustainable future for the sector

Travel content brands Culture Trip and Lonely Planet have announced a strategic commercial partnership offering advertisers access to their combined audiences.

The firms said they will work together on a Travel Reborn initiative that will focus on a more sustainable future for the industry.

Advertisers are being offered the chance to reach the brands combined 100 million unique users and 20 million social media followers through display ads, bespoke campaigns, branded content, social media, video, mobile app integration, email and ‘experiential activations’.

Dr Kris Naudts, founder and chief executive of Culture Trip, said: “I’m incredibly proud of Travel Reborn – our strategic, commercial partnership with Lonely Planet that comes at a time when collaboration is more important than ever in order to be stronger together.

“2020 hasn’t been easy for our industry and much has changed – what hasn’t changed is that we are both brands that are mission-driven.

“So instead of just going back to business as usual, we want to take this moment as an opportunity to help travellers and other brands reset and get it right.

“Together we want to help our global audiences discover new experiences, develop new habits and reshape how they connect with places and cultures – it is a truly unique alliance within our sector that has the opportunity to change behaviours for good.

“We have a common mission and we would love other brands and advertisers to partner with us on this important journey that will reach a global audience at a time when we see appetite for travel returning.”

Luis Cabrera, chief executive of Lonely Planet, added: “Culture Trip and Lonely Planet share an unrivalled passion for travel, and a real commitment to responsible travel.

“For nearly five decades, travellers have looked to Lonely Planet for in-depth travel advice they can trust. Our experts have trodden almost every cobbled street and taken in almost every view on the planet, always keeping one step ahead of the travel curve.

“Since the publication of its first guidebook in 1973, Lonely Planet has believed that responsible travel can be a force for good, and now, as the world re-emerges from lockdown, we have an incredible opportunity to rethink how we go about it.

“We’re proud to combine our expertise with Culture Trip for this new era, bringing together our strengths, our knowledge and our shared belief as both brands collaborate, pledging to continue evolving our content to deliver amazing, authentic, immersive and sustainable experiences for travellers seeking to explore in a new way.”

With travel entering a period of recovery, Culture Trip and Lonely Planet say they have common mission to create “meaningful, inspirational change to how people experience the world in the future, helping to leave behind the past practice marked by overtourism and cookie-cutter experiences”.

Both brands pledged to continue and expand the promotion of “sustainable travel options, respectful interactions with other cultures, responsible wildlife and outdoor experiences, and support for local businesses and communities”.

They said they will offer partners up-to-the-minute insights into the new travel mindset at a bigger scale than ever before to help then create effective campaigns based on shifts in planning behaviour, social media interactions, content engagement trends and more.

The partners said: “While both Culture Trip and Lonely Planet each have their own strong identity, audience profile and reach, the two brands perfectly complement each other to help clients grow awareness, consideration, traffic and sales.

“Through this alliance they will be able to advertise across both platforms, targeting users at many points across their inspiration, planning and booking journey.”