Ths story of Lonely Planet began with Tony and Maureen Wheeler's honeymoon - an overland expedition from Europe to Australia, and the guide they wrote about it - 'Asia On The Cheap'.
Within a week they'd sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. Two years later, their second journey led to 'South-East Asia on a shoestring', which led to books on Nepal, Australia, Africa, and India.
Thirty years later in 2007, BBC Worldwide purchased a 75% stake in Lonely Planet, and the remaining 25% in 2011.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with around 450 employees and over 200 authors.