Tourists 'will always need travel guides'

Wednesday April 29th , 2009

Holidaymakers and overseas property owners are always likely to need printed travel guides, according to one publishing firm.

Lonely Planet, which produces a number of informative guides, suggests that while new technologies may become popular, there will always be a place for printed books.

Tom Hall, the company's travel editor, says that books will remain handier and more compact for tourists and property owners looking to explore.

He commented: "When you are in a particularly remote place, or when you are in a particularly busy place and you might not want to be seen using an expensive piece of technology."

Research from the tourism firm STA Travel recently suggested that holidaymakers will increasingly use more interactive technologies when travelling around foreign countries.

Lonely Planet has published around 500 printed travel guides in eight different languages, selling an estimated six million books.