One of the early top names in travel ebooks was Lonely Planet, a publisher who happily morphed from the printed pocket guides to each country or region into adoption of full-color ebooks that could be used both online and offline. But it hasn’t been an easy journey to the digital transition for the travel publisher, as the abundance of free websites, travel blogs, and first-hand account blogs has meant curious adventurers no longer had to make the investment in a book when they could find out as much information or more through basic internet searching.
But Lonely Planet has hung on largely through a devotion to its brand and savvy marketing, as its latest offer shows. Just in time for the Rio Olympics, the company has released a free ebook on the city, complete with venue information and stellar landscape photography.
According to Lifehacker’s review of the ebook, “The book provides a basic overview of the city, with a map, details about transportation, food highlights and a look at all the various neighbourhoods that are part of the 2016 games. It’s a pretty fun little breakdown of the city, and if all the breathtaking vistas that will assuredly show up on the B-roll during the Olympic games spark a desire to visit the city, the book’s a great place to start. If nothing else, you’ll also find a handful of recipes to make your own Rio-inspired cocktails and snacks.”
It’s not just Lonely Planet who stands to get a PR boost from this book, but the city itself. With early reports from the Olympic venue complaining about the health concerns–such as the Zika virus, and athletes being cautioned to keep their mouths closed while swimming to keep from swallowing the sewage dumped in the water–and the current climate of political unrest across the country, this book couldn’t come at a better time.
To download your free copy of Lonely Planet’s Rio ebook, click here.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
