Even as the selection of travel accessories explodes with new technology like the iPad, e-books and portable DVD players, a recent survey shows travelers overwhelmingly prefer printed books or magazines when given the choice.
Conducted by GO Group, LLC, the nation’s largest airport and ground transportation provider, the survey of more than 250 travelers asked which travel accessory they can’t fly without. Some 73 percent responded with a (printed) book, newspaper or magazine as their No. 1 choice on a list of several options available.
The distant second was the laptop, cited by 10 percent of respondents. The low-tech accessory of the neck support pillow followed, at 9 percent.
Interestingly, a combined total of only 7 percent of respondents cited portable DVD or MP3 players. Other accessories included gel seat pads and bottles of water.
“It’s refreshing to see that in this high-tech era, some of the most traditional travel accessories are just as important as ever,” says John McCarthy, president of GO Group, LLC.