United Nations And Lonely Planet Launch Partnership

Leading Travel Publisher to Provide Expert Content to Humanitarian Workers around the Globe
Partnership Announced in Celebration of UN’s World Tourism Day on September 27th

(New York): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Lonely Planet, the world’s leading travel publisher, today announced the launch of a partnership to provide information vital for responders in humanitarian emergencies. OCHA mobilizes and coordinates emergency humanitarian efforts around the globe, and deploys the first international responders on the ground.

Staff from a variety of UN agencies and government and non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian aid, who usually deploy within 24 hours of a disaster, will now be able to use Lonely Planet’s information to help them familiarize themselves with the country’s geography and infrastructure, learn more about the country’s history and cultural background, and get essential basic information they should know before traveling.

“Lonely Planet’s expert content makes it easier for humanitarian workers to hit the ground running in unfamiliar environments,” said Gwi-Yeop Son, Director of Corporate Programmes at OCHA. “We value Lonely Planet’s commitment to provide accurate and up-to-the-minute information for our teams on the ground.”

“Lonely Planet’s mission is to provide trustworthy and informative content about a destination,” said John Boris, Executive Vice President of Lonely Planet Americas. “Our unique, in-depth information will empower the teams of humanitarian workers to learn quickly about the areas they are working in and the people they will be assisting.”

The partnership has been started in time to coincide with the celebration of the UN’s World Tourism Day on September 27th, 2011. World Tourism Day fosters awareness of the role of tourism within the international community and demonstrates how responsible tourism positively affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.



About Lonely Planet:
Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel content provider. Started in 1973, it enables curious travelers to experience the world and get to the heart of a place via guidebooks to every destination on the planet, an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products and a dedicated traveler community. Visit us at www.lonelyplanet.com.

About the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; to advocate the rights of people in need; to promote preparedness and prevention; and to facilitate sustainable solutions. For more information, go to www.unocha.org