Issued May 07, 2009

LonelyPlanet.com named best travel site in Webby People's Voice Awards

The global Web community has voted LonelyPlanet.com as Best Travel Site of the Year in The Webby People's Voice Awards.

This year, over 500,000 votes were cast by people around the world for their favorite sites, videos, and ads in The Webby People's Voice Awards.

Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Award is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile websites. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 650-person judging academy whose members include Internet co-inventor Vint Cerf, R/GA's Chief Bob Greenberg, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Arianna Huffington and Harvey Weinstein.

'The Webby Awards honor the very best of the Internet,' said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. 'Lonely Planet's win is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.'

'We've put a lot of effort into enriching LonelyPlanet.com over the last year,' said Kelly Brough, Global Online Director for Lonely Planet. 'The site has always been a trusted travel community, but now it also has a fresh modern look, details on over 8,000 destinations, thousands of high quality images, videos and maps, as well the ability to book hotels, flights and a range of other services. We're thrilled that web users love all these improvements and have recognised us in this way.'

Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards are known worldwide for its famous five-word speech limit. This year's Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from over 60 countries.

Lonely Planet will be honored at a star-studded ceremony in New York City on 8 June. The following day, fans will be able to watch the ceremony, including Lonely Planet's five-word speech, at the official Webby Awards YouTube Channel.

The Webby Awards have previously recognised Lonely Planet in the 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 ceremonies.