For many well-educated travelers, buying a copy of Lonely Planet is the first task before taking a vacation abroad. Founded in 1973, Lonely Planet is the biggest guidebook series in many countries. It’s published in 11 languages including Chinese.
But when the BBC confirmed on March 19 that it had sold the entire Lonely Planet series to a US billionaire at a significant deficit(赤字), many commented that the deal sang the swan song for the printed guidebook.
The rise of the Internet and the prevalence of smartphones have become a burden on the print media. Why would travelers bring a heavy guidebook when they can download the apps to their smartphone in an instant? Furthermore, alternative and free travel content is readily available on the Internet, from Wikivoyage to TripAdvisor which provide excellent guidance on your trips.
But the Internet is not the only reason that guidebooks are in decline. It is also widely accepted that the physical guidebook has such complete content that can kill any sense of personal exploration. With the guide books, all those backpacker feet ended up following routine trade routes, and in those routes was little room for initiative.
It’s also pointed out that the guidebook is not exactly good for tourism. Often the shops and restaurants that thrived on a recommendation in the guidebook relaxed and discovered that it didn’t matter: the legions of eager travelers keep on coming anyway. They gradually become uncompetitive.
And yet, despite the rise of new media, it’s believed there is still a place for printed guidebooks, at least for the time being as books still offer readers the kind of feeling that virtual tools can’t provide, more of a compelling, touchable interaction.
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