Google has decided to finally part ways with Frommer’s, the guidebook company founded by Arthur Frommer. Mr. Frommer, an ardent travel icon who inspired cost-conscious Americans to travel, will be retaking control of his travel guide book brand.
“It’s a very happy time for me,” Frommer, 83, told Associated Press. “We will be publishing the Frommer travel guides in ebook and print formats and will also be operating the travel site Frommers.com.”
Frommer started the guidebook enterprise in 1957 with a self-published book called “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day.” before selling it to publisher Simon and Schuster in 1977. Prior to Google’s acquisition of Frommer’s last year, it was owned by publishers Wiley and Sons. It was small travel guide he had written for American soldiers in Europe.
With its emphasis on cost-conscious travel, Frommer’s became an immediate bestseller and launched a guidebook company that became one of the world’s most recognized travel brands. Frommer’s daughter Pauline Frommer also has written numerous guidebooks for the brand and like her father, is a much-quoted expert on consumer travel and related issues.
Google had purchased the Frommer’s brand from Wiley last year for a reported $22 million, as reported by Skift.com. There was a decline in the share price of Google by 1.4 percent to $795.07 in New York after the deal was made by the founder of the travel guide brand.
Google also told news agencies that the travel content it had acquired from Frommer’s has been assimilated into various services, such as Google Plus and Maps, providing information and advice on local services such as hotels and restaurants.
Source: BBC News