Lonely Planet develops immersive mobile platform ‘Trips’

Widely considered an essential accompaniment to any trip, Lonely Planet’s travel guides are required reading for hopeful jetsetters the world over. Founded in 1972, the company was sold to BBC Worldwide in 2007, and once more to NC2 Media in 2013. Yet over the years, the brand’s expansion into television and online has moved with the meteoric pace of the global tourism industry. Its newest development sees the introduction of ‘Trips,’ a self-publishing content platform that aims to reimagine photo-sharing.

Announced earlier this month, Trips allows users to curate immersive content through seamless photo and video uploads, incorporating a flowing user experience that brings storytelling to the forefront of the content platform. Using clean and contemporary design, Trips incorporates interactive user engagement through a social media layout akin to popular photo-sharing apps, Instagram and VSCO. Enabling a wide range of user-oriented features, the app’s simple navigation features a ‘discovery’ tab that collects trips based on selected criteria such as cities, wildlife and road trips.

Daniel Houghton, CEO of Lonely Planet, says, “We understand what the modern traveller wants and have delivered an interactive digital platform that offers an effortless, mobile-first way to document, share and discover remarkable experiences. Trips is simply the next step in growing Lonely Planet as we continue to pioneer the future of travel.”

The app’s development aims to leverage Lonely Planet’s vast network of independent travel content, appealing to the growing body of socially connected travellers. With expert editors and writers, the brand’s USP continues to be its original, authentic outlook on the travel and tourism category, harbouring an often candid and trustworthy reputation within the sector.

Yet the app’s launch also signifies the expansion of Lonely Planet’s digital portfolio, adding to the development of its principle travel guide app, ‘Guides’ in 2016 and introducing a new video platform in April 2017. Trips is available on iOS now, with the Android version scheduled for release later this year.