Photo by Adam Groffman
Trusty, well-worn guidebooks may be a thing of the past as savvy travellers are now turning to online trip planners and smartphone apps.
Publishers have previously relied on their guides being visible in bookshops, but with the rise of online shopping and digital media, physical guidebooks are quickly becoming a ghost of the industry.
Award-winning travel writer and managing editor of the digital travel magazine, The Travel Reporter, Kris Madden understands the need for publishers to move into digital media, but says it is a sad progression.
“It’s true that physical guidebooks can go out of date very quickly and they are expensive to produce. Video and interactivity are preferred media now and you can’t do that with a physical guidebook,” said Madden.
“My old guidebooks will still remain some of my most treasured possessions – and a reminder of what a place was like at the time I travelled there.”
Sales of printed travel guides have plummeted since their peak in 2005.
Last year US guidebook sales were down 20 per cent on 2011 figures.
Many travellers are now doing their research using sites such as TripAdvisor, which provide free data quickly and precisely.
Although tablets and smartphones are convenient, there are problems with Internet access, battery life and theft.
English backpacker, Ellie Quinn, says her guidebooks have been her essential travel companions.
“When I had my guides for Thailand and Australia, I made notes on where I had been and the dates, which was a nice sentimental thing to do. I also made notes on places I was going with advice from other travellers,” said Quinn.
“I’m a bit old school and I generally prefer books even for fiction reading. I understand why digital guidebooks may start becoming very popular and maybe more convenient, but I like books.
The future of travel guidebooks is up in the air after Lonely Planet’s announcement last month of around 80 job cuts, with the majority of job losses in Melbourne.
The job cuts follow the recent acquisition of Lonely Planet by US media group NC2.
But there is still hope for the industry.
Arthur Frommer has bought back Frommer’s guidebooks from Google and will resume publishing guides.
A new series of EasyGuides will be launched as a condensed version of the traditional travel guidebook that is light to carry and easy to read.
Publication of the Day-by-Day guides will also resume, and the group expects to have books on the shelves by October.
Our Choice, Al Gore’s sequel to An Inconvenient Truth is an example of how travel guidebooks could be presented as digital versions.
What do you think of the future of travel guidebooks?
