Word On Books
with Jeremy Fenton
The Best Job on the Planet
When young married couple Tony and Maureen Wheeler started travelling under their own steam in 1973, the world's borders seemed a little further apart and there were a lot less people flowing across them.
 After following the de rigueur overland ‘hippy trail' from England to Australia, the Wheelers found themselves answering a barrage of questions about their travels – How did you travel? What did you see? What did it cost? It inspired them to write their first book, Across Asia on the Cheap.
'I look back on that trip now and it's kind of wired into my brain. I remember so much of it so vividly,' says Tony Wheeler. 'It was an era that was very interesting and we were visiting countries that – in a way – you knew less about. Now there is so much more information – travel programs, books, magazines and god knows what else.'
Other titles and travels soon followed, including South-East Asia on a Shoestring, still known as the ‘yellow bible' for travellers. And despite intending to get the 'travel out of their system', the pair founded a small empire based on their special brand of good travel advice and information. In the process assuring themselves the means – and an enviable reason – to travel for a lifetime.
Lonely Planet is one of the outstanding publishing successes of the past three decades. With over 400 guidebooks, phrasebooks, walking guides and maps to its name the company is a trusted (and essential) companion to hundreds of thousands of travellers the world over. There's also the merchandise, the photo gallery ('largest travel-exclusive online photo library in the world'), and a website that attracts 1 million plus hits per month.
The philosophy of the Lonely Planet guidebooks takes several forms.
Apart from providing up-to-date information, the books subtly preach a message of respect to the planet and its peoples whilst urging travellers to take the road less trod – to get to know the cultures they are visiting on a more personal level.
So after nearly three decades, in what ways is Wheeler still involved?
'I still do some writing every year. I've been involved in writing a couple of projects recently. More of the travel though, because I want to go to places and there are things I want to see. We call it ‘quality control', just taking the books and trying them out.'
So how has the world of travel changed?
'When we started we were in our early 20s and writing books for people also in their early 20s who were penniless. Now the business is so much bigger, there are so many more people travelling. Travel is now thought of more as something that's a right, rather than a privilege.'
In a world that's rapidly gaining people and simultaneously losing space, what does Wheeler see regarding the future of travel and tourism?
'There's no question that tourism can be damaging on all sorts of levels. I think that people involved in the industry and those travelling have to be very aware of that and act accordingly. Although it is an activity that's sustainable, we have to think very carefully about how to make it work.'
With the 2001 Byron Bay Writers Festival having a focus on travel writing (Tony will host a workshop called ‘So You Wanna be a Travel Writer'), how does Wheeler feel about travel books as a kind of literature?
'There's no question that some of them are terrific literature. Even in a guidebook, which is essentially a fairly mundane sort of manual to get you from place-to-place, there are still writers who can bring things to life. No one wants to read a telephone directory. There has to be some magic in it. There has to be some literary aspiration.'
Travel writing has blossomed during the past several decades. Does Lonely Planet have its door beaten down by prospective writers (they currently employ around 120 travellers/writers)?
'You build up and don't jump in the deep end [with new writers]. The writers are a wild and wonderful mix of abilities and reasons. There's no such thing as the perfect travel writer. One person can be good at one thing and not quite so good at something else.'
Surprisingly, the answer often comes down to something as mundane as writing numbers accurately.
'There's nothing worse in a guidebook than wrong phone numbers,' says Wheeler, laughing.
Actually there is one thing worse, and that's overt commercialisation- great write-ups in return for freebies. Lonely Planet's fundamental rule is that writers don't accept such perks. Independent travel needs an independent guidebook.
And yes, when asked, Tony Wheeler freely admits that he probably does have the best job on the planet.
Tony and Maureen Wheeler will appear at the 2001 Byron Bay Writers Festival, August 2-5, at the Byron Bay Beach Resort. Call 6685 6554 for inquiries and bookings.
www.lonelyplanet.com
www.nrwc.org.au
www.wordonbooks.com
|
