Internet Brands Acquires Wikitravel and World66 Online Travel Guides; Company Will Fund Growth of Two of the World’s Fastest Growing Wiki Travel Sites

On April 20, 2006, Internet Brands, Inc., an American operator of consumer information websites, announced the acquisition of Wikitravel and World66. These two platforms were recognized as two of the world’s fastest-growing open-content wiki travel guides. The acquisition marked a significant consolidation in the digital travel publishing space, bringing together pioneering collaborative travel projects under a single corporate umbrella with a commitment to fund their continued growth.

Internet Brands today announced that it has acquired Wikitravel, one of the world’s largest collaboratively edited travel guides, along with World66, a long-established online travel community and destination guide. The acquisition expands Internet Brands’ portfolio of consumer-focused online properties and reflects the company’s continued investment in user-generated travel content.

Founded in 2003, Wikitravel pioneered the use of wiki technology for travel information, enabling volunteers from around the world to collaboratively create and maintain destination guides covering countries, cities, attractions, transportation, accommodations, restaurants, and practical travel advice. By early 2006, the website had become one of the fastest-growing travel communities on the Internet, supported by thousands of volunteer contributors and an expanding library of destination articles in multiple languages.

World66, established several years earlier, developed a reputation as one of the web’s most comprehensive travel planning resources. The platform offered destination guides, travel journals, maps, and community-generated recommendations for independent travelers seeking practical information beyond traditional guidebooks.

Through the acquisition, Internet Brands planned to provide additional financial and operational resources to support the continued growth of both communities while preserving their collaborative editing models. The company stated that the investment would help expand technical infrastructure, improve website performance, and accelerate feature development for contributors and travelers alike.

“We believe that community-generated travel information represents one of the most valuable resources available to travelers,” Internet Brands said in announcing the acquisition. “Both Wikitravel and World66 have demonstrated remarkable growth by empowering travelers to share firsthand knowledge with a global audience.”

At the time of the announcement, user-generated content was rapidly transforming the online travel industry. Rather than relying exclusively on professionally authored guidebooks, travelers increasingly turned to collaborative platforms that allowed local residents and experienced visitors to continually update destination information in real time.

Internet Brands viewed the acquisition as an opportunity to strengthen its position within the growing online travel market while supporting open collaboration among travel enthusiasts worldwide. The company indicated that both websites would continue operating independently, allowing their existing communities to maintain editorial control over content while benefiting from improved infrastructure and long-term investment.

The acquisition also highlighted the increasing commercial recognition of wiki-based publishing platforms during the mid-2000s. As collaborative websites gained popularity across numerous industries, travel guides became one of the most successful examples of community-driven knowledge sharing.

For Wikitravel contributors, the announcement emphasized continuity. Existing editorial policies, volunteer participation, and collaborative governance were expected to remain intact while Internet Brands focused primarily on providing financial stability, hosting resources, and technical support.

World66 similarly continued serving its established user community, with ongoing development intended to enhance travel planning tools and destination coverage.

The acquisition represented an important milestone in the evolution of collaborative travel publishing, illustrating how community-created content had become a significant component of the broader online travel ecosystem.

About Internet Brands

Internet Brands is an Internet media company that develops, acquires, and operates category-leading websites across multiple vertical markets. Its portfolio has included properties serving the automotive, travel, legal, health, and home sectors, with a focus on building online communities and delivering valuable consumer information.

About Wikitravel

Wikitravel is a collaborative online travel guide launched in 2003 that enables volunteers worldwide to create and edit free travel information using wiki technology. The project provides destination guides, transportation advice, accommodation listings, cultural information, and practical travel tips in multiple languages.

About World66

World66 is an online travel community and destination guide that provides travel planning resources, destination information, travel journals, and community-generated recommendations for independent travelers around the world.

Background of the Acquired Platforms

Wikitravel was launched in July 2003 by Evan Prodromou and Michele Ann Jenkins. Its mission was to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide built collaboratively by global volunteers known as “Wikitravellers.” World66, founded in 1999, was an earlier open-content travel guide that allowed users to share their personal travel experiences, tips, and reviews. Both sites utilized the wiki model, which empowered anyone with internet access to edit, expand, and improve the travel content.

Acquisition Details and Corporate Strategy

Internet Brands, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, specialized in operating vertical consumer information websites. By acquiring Wikitravel and World66, Internet Brands aimed to expand its travel and leisure portfolio. Following the announcement, the company publicly committed to funding the technical infrastructure and growth of both sites. Internet Brands assured the active community of contributors and the millions of users that the travel guides would remain free to access and that the collaborative, open-editing wiki model would be preserved and supported.

Impact on the Wiki Travel Community

The acquisition provided immediate financial stability and resources to sustain the rapidly expanding wikis. However, the transition to corporate ownership eventually led to friction between the volunteer community and Internet Brands management. Disputes over copyright licensing, commercialization, and editorial control culminated in 2012, when a significant portion of the Wikitravel community migrated to the Wikimedia Foundation to establish Wikivoyage, a non-profit, freely licensed travel guide. Despite these later developments, the 2006 acquisition by Internet Brands remains a foundational event in the history of collaborative travel publishing.

Editorial Note

This article is a modern editorial reconstruction summarizing the historical announcement made on April 20, 2006. It is intended as an informational archive based on publicly available historical records and contemporary reporting, and should not be considered the original Business Wire press release.