Lonely Planet vs Tripadvisor:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Tripadvisor had more branded searches than Lonely Planet among travel guide platforms worldwide. Tripadvisor had about 4.1 million branded searches, while Lonely Planet had 110,000. Tripadvisor made up 77.8% of all travel guide platform searches we track, and Lonely Planet accounted for 2.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about travel guide platforms, Lonely Planet appeared in all five answers and Tripadvisor in two. Lonely Planet was mentioned before Tripadvisor in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Tripadvisor, about 37 searches for every 1 for Lonely Planet
Who does AI mention more?
Lonely Planet, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Lonely Planet, named ahead of Tripadvisor in every answer
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Top travel guide platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lonely Planet appeared in all five answers. Tripadvisor was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Lonely Planet was listed before Tripadvisor in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Lonely Planet1st
Wanderlog2nd- Rick Steves3rd
- Tripadvisor4th
- Atlas Obscura4th
Culture Trip6th
Rome2Rio7th
Time Out8th
Wikivoyage–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Lonely Planet5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Wanderlog3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Rick Steves3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tripadvisor2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Rome2Rio2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Atlas Obscura2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Time Out1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Culture Trip1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Wikivoyage0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about travel guide platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which travel guide platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best travel guide platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best travel guide platform for trip ideas?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“travel guide sites”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best travel guide”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Lonely Planet or Tripadvisor more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine travel guide platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Tripadvisor, Lonely Planet. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tripadvisor | Rome2Rio | Time Out | Wanderlog | Lonely Planet | Atlas Obscura | Rick Steves | Wikivoyage | Culture Trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 77.5% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.28% | 0.08% |
| Nov 2025 | 77% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.28% | 0.07% |
| Dec 2025 | 75.5% | 8.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 2% | 2.5% | 0.33% | 0.07% |
| Jan 2026 | 76.5% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 0.34% | 0.07% |
| Feb 2026 | 77.5% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.34% | 0.07% |
| Mar 2026 | 72.4% | 9.7% | 3.6% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 0.21% | 0.06% |
| Apr 2026 | 74.8% | 10.1% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3% | 1.7% | 2% | 0.22% | 0.07% |
| May 2026 | 80.1% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.24% | 0.06% |
| Jun 2026 | 81.2% | 7.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 0.05% |
| Jul 2026 | 80.6% | 7.3% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.24% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 80.4% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 4% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.19% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 77.8% | 7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.28% | 0.06% |
How has the Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Tripadvisor was ahead of Lonely Planet in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lonely Planet’s share of searches among travel guide platforms worldwide moved from 2.6% to 2.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tripadvisor’s share of searches among travel guide platforms worldwide moved from 77.5% to 77.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4.1M.
How did search popularity change for travel guide platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Lonely Planet overtook Atlas Obscura and Rick Steves to rank 5th among travel guide platforms worldwide, with 2.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Tripadvisor lost share of searches among travel guide platforms worldwide, from 80.4% to 77.8%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Lonely Planet’s and Tripadvisor’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Lonely Planet
1 branded search term
- lonely planet
Tripadvisor
1 branded search term
- tripadvisor
Other head-to-heads among travel guide platforms
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