BBC looking at sale of Lonely Planet division The broadcaster's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, is understood to be exploring strategic options that could include a sale, potentially to online travel websites TripAdvisor or Expedia. The potential disposal comes less than two years after the BBC took full control of Lonely Planet, paying a total of £130m for the company across two deals in 2007 and 2011. A source close to the BBC said: "We are out talking to different people all the time. Some of those [talks] come to fruition, some don't. If we are to sell anything it would require regulatory approval, including [from] the BBC Trust. Any sale of Lonely Planet could involve a significant loss for the BBC, which has had to write down the value of the business in recent months due, in part, to the strength of the Australian dollar, where the business is based. However, the business has worked to improve profitability, expanding into new markets including Asia. The source said: "Lonely Planet has been doing a great job in terms of growing digital. When the BBC bought it in 2007, digital revenue was 9pc of overall income, now it is 27pc. As much as the publishing arm is known for its guidebooks, it is thought that any sale would focus on the value of the brand across broadcasting, internet and new media channels. A spokesman for the BBC said: "Lonely Planet is a fantastic brand which has seen tremendous success over recent years and we're not going to comment on speculation about its future."