Lonely Planet travel info integrated into Nokia Maps

By Giselle Abramovich

August 20, 2008

Lonely planners

Nokia and Lonely Planet have teamed up to distribute the travel publisher's content via Nokia Maps to help travelers everywhere.

Travelers can purchase and download the city guides so that they have information on their mobile phones, wherever they are.

“Travelers will be able to download Lonely Planet content and use it in conjunction with their Nokia Maps-enabled phones,’ said Ushma Patel, Europe Middle East and Africa business development director for Nokia.

There are more than 100 destinations available and more to come.

The Lonely Planet guides will help travellers to find great places to eat, shop and sleep. It will also provide descriptions of the popular sights and nightlife for each destination.

“For Lonely Planet, we have an online and print presence so the natural next step was to go mobile,” Ms. Patel said.

The downloads are available for 7.99 euros and can be found in the Guides section in the Extras menu.

Nokia Maps 2.0 uses vector maps provided by Navteq and TeleAtlas.

Nokia Maps has maps covering over 200 countries, with over 70 of them navigable.

Maps can be downloaded over the air directly to selected devices or by using the Nokia Map Loader on a PC. 

Lonely Planet is a global travel information company. It is known for its first-hand approach and up-to-date maps.

It covers the must-see spots, but also encourages travellers to get off the beaten track and understand more of the nature, culture and environment in each destination.

Lonely Planet currently has more than 360 writers, researchers and photographers and produces around 500 books, downloadable digital guides, an award-winning Web site, wireless applications and television programs.

“This is a great extension of our brand,” Ms. Patel said. Our strategy is to be able to provide useful and up-to-date travel information to travelers in whatever way is most comfortable to them, hence all the options.

“By having this functionality on their mobile phones travelers will be able to make the most of their vacations,” she said. “We also want them to integrate this into every part of their life and even discover new things in their own city.”