Lonely Planet wins two at the 7th Annual Webby Awards!

JUNE 10, 2003

Lonely Planet's website, www.lonelyplanet.com, has recently won two Webby Awards for website innovation literally scooping the Travel category with 'Best Travel Website' and 'People's Voice' awards. Lonely Planet's website beat nominees including IgoUgo, Joe Sent Me, SeatGuru.com, and The New York Times: Travel.

Lonelyplanet.com was also winner of the 2002 Webby Award for 'Best Travel Website'. The Webby Awards, often described as the 'Oscars™ of the Internet," recognize outstanding achievement for the Web in content, quality, and experience in 30 different categories including film, travel, news, and TV. The Webby Award nominees are selected and voted on by members of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. The general public determines the People's Voice award. Lonely Planet's Global Online Products Manager, Tamar Elizabeth Lowell, said producing first-class content, design and technology was a high priority for Lonely Planet.

"The Web Team are committed to creating the best online channel for inspiring and enabling travel," she said. "We are excited about the opportunities ahead and will work hard to continue to be the best of the Web," she added.

Lonely Planet's award-winning website gets around 65,800 unique visits per day and has won acclaim from PC Magazine, The Seattle Times and the Australian Book Publishers' Association. It also won a Telstra/Australian Financial Review award in 1998 and was nominated for a Webby in 2000. For more information about the 2003 Webby Awards visit www.webbyawards.com

For more information contact: Sarah Wintle, Lonely Planet Publications, ph +61 3 8379 8000, email Sarah.Wintle@lonelyplanet.com.au