One entrepreneur who's enjoying surprising success is Rene Fey, new chief executive of APA, publishers of the popular Insight Guides series, who has revolutionised the way the company does business.
APA has diversified to become an online travel marketplace, providing direct links to a multitude of verified local operators, allowing users to benefit from the services of local experts in a safe booking environment.
There are currently 20 destinations and 120 trips on offer, although Fey plans to extend this to 250 trips in 30 destinations by the end of March, and has even described the company as being "the Uber of travel, connecting travellers with local travel suppliers".
Although the new booking service marks a new direction for the company, now in its 45th year, printed guidebooks are still very much a part of the future game plan.
This year, 100 new titles and new editions are planned, adding to the 400 publications already in print. Fey hopes that by offering a free app and ebook with every print edition, customers will be incentivised to use books for holiday planning at home and easily transportable digital material while on the move.
The travel guidebook may be appearing in multiple guises, demonstrating the genre is anything but redundant.
- AAP