On Monday, August 13, Google expanded its food and tourism portfolio by acquiring the travel assets of John Wiley & Sons Inc. for an undisclosed amount. The assets which Google has bought include Frommer's travel guidebook, which is one of the best-selling travel-related guidebooks in the world.

The deal - likely to close in the coming weeks - which Google has struck with John Wiley & Sons includes the purchase of 350 Frommer's travel guides as well as the Frommers. com website.

However, Google is yet to decide whether it will continue the printing of the popular Frommer's guidebooks, which date back to 1957 and offer travel advice for US tourists. It is quite possible that Google's purchase of Frommer's assets might result in the publications becoming online-only products.

About Google's purchase of Frommer's travel guidebook, nearly a year after the Internet search giant's acquisition of the Zagat restaurant-review guide, the company's spokeswoman Katelin Todhunter-Gerberg said that Google intends combining the assets of Frommer's and Zagat, with the aim of becoming an ultimate source for travel as well as food reviews.

Noting that the Frommer's staff and the "quality and scope" of the travel-related content created by them, will be "a great addition" to the Zagat team, Google said in a statement: "We can't wait to start working with them on our goal to provide a review for every relevant place in the world."