【推荐1】With the winter holiday coming up, you may have a trip in mind. But no matter which destination you choose, chances are that you' 11 see people with Lonely Planet guidebooks on your travels.

Lonely Planet is one of the world's largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. The popular brand produces television shows, websites and podcasts.

Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They save you time and keep you from missing the best things in a place. And of course, the reviews of hostels （招 待所）,hotels and restaurants in the guides, in addition to ticket information about destinations, are useful.

This can be great if you are a nervous traveler, or if you haven't traveled by yourself before. If you a re in a country where you don't speak the language, being able to show a guidebook to a taxi driver can be a great help. You can be sure to get yourself to a hostel that's cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer.

But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers. They say guidebooks take the fun out of traveling, and that part of the charming of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen.

They also think that if you follow a guidebook, you'll end up doing the same things and having the same experiences as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same trail （路线）.

Another criticism of travel guides is that they have an overly large impact on local communities. For example, some locals devote their lives to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They pretend a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses just to attract tourists' dollars.

【推荐2】Some Must-see Travel Destinations for 2020

National Geographic has issued its 2020 list of best travel destinations across the world and it's sure to inspire would-be vacationers.

Guizhou Province, China

Historically one of China's most undiscovered provinces, southwestern Guizhou is gaining global notice as a big data center. The mountainous region's plentiful water and cool climate are attractive to Huawei, Apple and dozens of other tech powerhouses that have been established there. This has improved access to the entire province, including the traditional villages of ethnic minority groups, such as Dong and Miao.

Zakouma National Park, Chad

Home to a rapidly growing African elephant population — some 559 in 2019 and a thousand expected by 2024 — Zakouma National Park is an off-the map African destination. The park's location, in southeastern Chad, one of the world's least-visited countries, makes Zakouma a best-kept secret. Illegal hunting previously had made the park nearly a war zone, with 90 percent of the wild elephants killed. Funding from the European Union has brought back life to the region.

Cairo, Egypt

The Great Pyramid, one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, can be found just outside Cairo. This triangular structure has been of interest to travelers far and wide for more than 4,000 years. Yet splendid as it is, it also houses some of the most interesting mysteries. It makes visitors wonder what's inside the pyramid.

National Blue Trail, Hungary

Hungary is a dream hiking destination thanks to the country's National Blue Trail. Winding its way from Irottko Mountain to the northeastern village of Hollóháza, the Blue Trail is a wonderfully diverse web of paths labeled with white-and-blue way markers. As Europe's first long-distance trail, it's part of the nearly 6,500-mile European long distance walking route E4.

【推荐2】Carle Place-based online florist and gift retailer 1-800-Flowers.com said it plans to acquire Personalization Mall.com-an online seller of personalized gifts such as coffee mugs and blankets-from home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond for $252 million.

“The company will be an excellent addition to our growing family of popular gifting brands,” Chris McCann, chief executive of 1-800-Flowers, said in a statement Tuesday.

Personalization Mall has achieved steady financial growth for several years, with revenue( 税收)of more than $150 million in its most recent fiscal year( 财年). “1-800-Flowers expects the deal to raise the company's top and bottom-line results in fiscal 2021, ” McCann said. 1-800-Flowers posted $1.25 billion in sales in fiscal year 2019.

In recent years, 1-800-Flowers has grown its business through a series of e-commerce site launches and acquisitions. In 2018, the company launched Goodsey.com, a site offering products ranging from home decoration to jewelry and personal care items. And last year, the company announced its purchase of FTD's Shari's Berries.

1-800-Flowers had been following Personalization Mall ’s business with interest for years, a 1-800-Flowers spokeswoman said Wednesday. “The company sees significant opportunities to expand personalization of various product offerings throughout its portfolio of brands by using PersonalizationMall.com's unique capabilities and expertise( 专门知识).” she said.

The acquisition includes the Personalization Mall.com website and its new, 360,000-square-foot production and distribution facility in Bolingbrook, Illinois. PersonalizationMall.com will become a wholly owned subsidiary of 1-800-Flowers.com Inc. With this acquisition "the company will distance itself from its peers which will struggle to match the breadth of its gifting brands," Kupinski said.

The company’s brands also include 1-800-Baskets.com, Cheryl’s Cookies, FruitBouquets.com, Moose Munch popcorn and The Popcorn Factory. Its shares closed up 1.4%, or 24 cents, to $18.02 on Wednesday. The stock climbed almost a dollar per share on Tuesday after the deal was announced.