Lonely Planet is to open its first store in the UK next month with an outlet in Manchester Airport.

The shop will open on 29 June as part of the LS travel retail UK & Ireland group, which is a subsidiary of LS travel retail EMEA – a division of the Lagardère Services group and operates several travel and convenience stores in airports and stations.

Fin Casey, managing director of LS travel retail UK & Ireland told Travel Daily the store will not sell holidays, but sell Lonely Planet books and guides; offer advice and sell other travel related goods. Travellers will also be able to access destination information through its ‘interactive hub’ which will include tablets and a large touch-screen table.

“The store is not a travel agent but will sell Lonely Planet guides and products alongside travel-based clothing, accessories and some BBC content such as its multi-media,” he said. “Customers will be able to access information through a combination of tablet hardware and a large touch screen table, think a television but laid flat, to play around and access Lonely Planet content”.

The Manchester store is the second to open globally following its shop in Sydney.   

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