Lonely Planet Gets Lonelier

Europeans are still traveling overseas. Australians are still traveling overseas. But Americans seem to be staying home—or booksellers think they are—and that’s forcing Lonely Planet into hard times. The mammoth publisher of budget guidebooks, which according to The San Francisco Chronicle had Americans to thank for more than a third of its $45 million in book sales last year, has seen sales plummet since September 11.

Eric Kettunen, general manager of Lonely Planet’s U.S. operations, says booksellers report that “they’re not moving any of our product or don’t believe they’ll be moving any of our product.” In an attempt to avoid layoffs, Lonely Planet has adopted a progressive, travel-friendly approach. “The company is giving employees up to six months of travel leave with 15 percent pay, or the option of reducing work hours and taking as much as a 20 percent pay cut,” writes the Chronicle’s David Lazarus. “So far, about a quarter of Lonely Planet’s 155 U.S. employees have accepted the travel plan and are now traipsing around the globe.”

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