Lonely Planet Founder Lists Travel Destinations He Swears He’ll Never Visit Again

• In 1973, Tony Wheeler established the travel guide firm alongside his spouse.
• EXPLORE FURTHER: Europe’s charming jewel emerges as the globe’s most pedestrian-friendly metropolis in new rankings

As a highly esteemed figure in travel literature, Tony Wheeler has been guiding travelers to explore the planet's most stunning landmarks since the early 1970s, after he initially established Lonely Planet.

The holiday sage , now 78, regularly discusses his favourite places, and the destinations he's got no desire to visit - and his latest list is out.

Although some may not shock many, considering the state of global politics, the remaining two sites that have landed on Wheeler’s prohibitive list are major draws for tourists worldwide.

In a blog entry on his webpage, the co-founder of Lonely Planet — who established the firm with his spouse Maureen in 1973 before divesting his share — discussed this matter. BBC Globally, he shared an explanation detailing precisely what motivated his choices.

The post, entitled, I Won’t Go Back Anymore , indicates that traveling anywhere by airplane seems challenging due to the threat of global warming increases, but admits he ' keeps traveling and keeps feeling guilty about it.

The initial pair of locations on the itinerary includes Russia and Saudi Arabia. Although the latter is pouring significant resources into attracting visitors through upscale accommodations and premium projects, this approach fails to appeal to Wheeler—and he isn’t shy about expressing his opinion on the matter.

He mentions that although he enjoyed his visit in 2002, he has no desire to return. The same goes for Russia; the co-founder of Lonely Planet refers to various political issues in these nations which led him to vote against revisiting them with his actions.

The location that may astonish readers of his works could very well be Indonesia’s Balinese islands.

“I apologize to Bali,” he says. “That Indonesian island has plenty of wonderful aspects, and I recently enjoyed an amazing gathering for travel writers there. However, due to the absurd traffic situation, I have absolutely no desire to return unless there’s a compelling reason to do so.”

Although he claims to have an appreciation for the art, cuisine, shopping, and cultural sites in Bali, the traffic congestion between Kuta Beach and Ubud has deterred him from visiting for the foreseeable future.

Moreover, a location he has been to numerous occasions receives little attention, suggesting he might fall short of achieving his aim to set foot in all 50 states.

Indeed, the USA has fallen off the radar for the travel expert, whose trips to Missouri and North/South Carolina might very well mark the end of such journeys for him—at least over the next four years.

He clarified: "Even though I've spent almost a decade of my life in the USA and have numerous American friends, I'm content to prioritize other places over the USA for now."

He discloses that it’s the current president who is deterring him: "With the so-called 'orange one' (and for others, Donald Trump himself) along with his affiliated rogues at the helm right now, I genuinely have no desire to visit there anymore."

In 2007, Wheeler along with his spouse Maureen offloaded Lonely Planet for £130 million as part of a transaction orchestrated by BBC Worldwide.

Nevertheless, the commercial sector of the BBC subsequently offloaded it to the American firm NC2 Media at a loss of approximately £80 million. In 2020, the brand was then taken over by Red Ventures.

In last year's lineup, the group of present travel gurus from Lonely Planet released an enticing roster highlighting the top 30 destinations to explore in 2025, with the United States being among them.

The Lonely Planet's Best In Travel 2025 publication highlights the top ten countries, regions, and cities worth visiting this year.

The rankings were put together by Lonely Planet experts, global contributors, and publishing partners. The guide mentioned that these locations were selected for being current, offering distinct experiences, having an impressive impact, and consistently committing to sustainability, community involvement, and diversity.

Cameroon led the national rankings, followed closely by Lithuania in the second spot, with Fiji securing the third position.

Pittsburgh came sixth in the city ranking, which was topped by Toulouse in France. East Anglia was declared the eighth-best region in the world.

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