Former Dow Jones executive Matt Goldberg '92 is CEO of Lonely Planet, the Melbourne-based media company beloved by voyagers worldwide
Former Dow Jones executive Matt Goldberg '92 is CEO of Lonely Planet, the Melbourne-based media company beloved by voyagers worldwide
Cornell Alumni Magazine: What's the typical Lonely Planet reader like?
Matt Goldberg: An independent traveler who is open-minded and curious, who wants to engage with the world and have some adventure along the way. We may be known to some as a company serving backpackers going to exotic destinations, but our future is about shifting from that demographic, to serve new audiences who share our mindset. And we need to do that in a way that maintains who we are.
CAM: Lonely Planet readers have a reputation for being loyal to the brand. Is that true?
MG: There is a deep connection, and I think that's because of the way we empower authentic experiences. When we send our authors into places, we're thoughtful about cultural sensitivity and environmental sustainability, about getting people thinking and curious about getting to the heart of a place.
CAM: Can you give an example of a particularly exotic spot that Lonely Planet covers?
MG: I recently had lunch with the author of our Afghanistan guide, who told stories about crossing the border with Pakistan—a border that today would likely not be safe. He talked about local tribespeople taking him through the hills and referring to where the Taliban were, and the security precautions he took. It's amazing that we can cover places that otherwise may be lost to conflict or war.
CAM: What are the challenges of running a global business from Melbourne?
MG: I wind up working much longer hours, but you get into a rhythm. I know when I wake up I'm going to have e-mails from Europe. I know I can get on the phone and have half a day of discussions with the U.S., that I should start on the East Coast and work west and at the end of the day, as I'm finishing up in Australia, the U.K. is coming back online.
CAM: What's Lonely Planet's position in the market?
MG: We're the number one guidebook publisher in the world. We have about a 20 percent share, so we produce one out of five guidebooks globally. We cover every country and have more than 400 titles. This year, we'll print our 100 millionth book.
CAM: People talk about the eventual "death" of print. On a practical level, are travel guides one area where books will prosper, since they're so portable?
MG: The book is an enduring technology. It's almost 500 years old, it's mobile, it's lightweight, you get a lot of information from it, and the battery never runs out. I think that there will be books in the future, but they will evolve. The future is not about the book itself, it's about the communities and services that emerge around it. That's what we're focused on: how do you go from 400 titles in print to 100 million shared stories of people who have transformational experiences that Lonely Planet has empowered? How can we provide services—whether it's content, travel insurance, or a flight—to help people experience the world?
CAM: How has travel changed in the electronic age?
MG: There's much more information available; the problem is that the huge number of sources makes it difficult to know who to trust. Lonely Planet has an opportunity to be the definitive source. For example, we have more than seventy iPhone apps. We provide translators, so if you want to ask for a meal in China you can press a button and it will order for you. We have technology-enabled guides for over thirty-five cities all over the world; you can land in Cape Town and your device will suggest points of interest and create an itinerary with interactive mapping.
CAM: Might such gizmos diminish the pleasure of wandering around a new place, encountering the unexpected? MG: It's all about what the individual chooses to do. I recently went to Malaysia with two of our authors, and in Borneo we decided to forge a new route up the Batang Ai River. We had heard that there was an authentic, exciting experience with the Iban people and the longhouse culture that nobody had covered, but the independent traveler couldn't get there. We did it, and we didn't use a book or a device, just our ingenuity and a local guide. And as I interacted with an eighty-year-old Iban warrior and watched as the community prepared for a wedding and cut up a freshly slaughtered wild boar, I realized that I was having the most authentic interaction given my language skills—no technology necessary.
CAM: You use the term "authentic" a lot. What does it mean to you?
MG: An authentic experience is in the eyes and heart of the beholder. It's one that's true to who you are and what your values are, where curiosity and open-mindedness are paramount, where you meet a new person or learn something about a different culture. It's individual and personal, which is why we don't want to prescribe it.
CAM: What trip has affected you most?
MG: I have in my office my first Lonely Planet book, the 1994 edition of Australia. It was my companion and I took it everywhere. The reason the experience was transformative was that I was a recent college graduate, and I had never been somewhere for a long period of time where I didn't know anybody and I was alone. And I engaged with a different culture and forged my identity in doing so. It was a chance for me to determine who I was and where I fit in the world.
CAM: Where on this lonely planet of ours would you most like to go, but haven't been yet?
MG: One has to be careful not to assume that the pleasures of travel have to mean some far-off, exotic locale. It doesn't have to be long-haul and it doesn't have to be difficult. When I was living in New York City, I used to travel the world by going to a different neighborhood. I've lived on four continents and I've done all kinds of adventure travel, but you always have dream trips. That's the beauty of travel— it never ends.
— Beth Saulnier