Tony Wheeler launches new PhD program on History of Travel Writing

Tony Wheeler, a philanthropist, businessman, and co-founder of the Lonely Planet, launched a new series of PhD scholarships at the University of Warwick focused on the history of travel writing.

Research themes within the program are:

• The evolution of travel advice
• dark tourism
• travel and gender
• vicarious travel
• Travel, sustainability, and the environment
• travel and travel writing from the Global South

Lonely Planet co-founder and University of Warwick alumni Tony Wheeler, said, “I am thrilled to launch this new scholarship in travel writing at my alma mater.”

“As someone who has spent a lifetime exploring the world through writing, I am excited to see how this partnership can contribute to our understanding of travel and its cultural impact. Together with the University of Warwick, we can embark on a journey of discovery and learning,” he added.

The four fully funded studentships were introduced during Tony Wheeler's guest lecture, "History of Travel Writing: The Art of Travel." The lecture took the audience on a guided tour of the evolution of travel writing, from guidebooks to contemporary travel blogs.

The five years of funding, coming from the founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler, will go toward supporting undergraduate field trips, research travels, and internships for students interested in travel history and travel writing.

After graduating from the University of Warwick with a bachelor's degree in engineering, Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen set out to explore Europe, Asia, and Australia. He founded Lonely Planet in 1973 after realizing that there was a severe lack of information available on the topic. The guide's original name was "Across Asia on the Cheap"; it was later modified to the well-known "South East Asia on a Shoestring."

Lonely Planet grew into an empire over the ensuing 30 years, eventually being acquired by the BBC in 2007 and NC2 Media in 2013. Tony continues to travel extensively and most recently released a book titled "Dark Lands," which is an investigation into some of the most unstable nations in the world, such as the Congo, Zimbabwe, and Pakistan.