Researchers from easyJet Holidays, surveyed the nation’s holidaymakers – and revealed a staggering 87% insist a real book is better on holiday than any form of tech.
The research was commissioned to celebrate the operator’s new partnership with WHSmith, the global travel retailer, curating a ‘Perfect Summer Reads’ edit for jetsetters. The partnership will see the list promoted in 140 WHSmith stores, which will be co-branded with easyJet holidays, based in UK airports and train stations.
77% of Brits maintain they always read a real book on holiday, with 56% saying it is one of the only times they take a proper break from looking at a screen.
More than a third (35%) even love the smell of a book, while 24% said a device doesn’t have the same aesthetic as the front cover of a novel. What’s more, almost a quarter (22%) reckon holding a book makes them appear more cultured, while 11% of modern Brits deem old-school hard copy books as retro and hip.
One in ten (10%) like that other people can see what they’re reading, in fact, 79% think that a holiday isn’t a real holiday without a book to read. Amazingly, almost half (49%) read more books on holiday than they do for the rest of the year.
Feeling more relaxed (74%), having fewer distractions (54%) and not worrying about work (23%) are reasons why we read more on our holidays.
To help readers choose their perfect holiday narrative, easyJet Holidays and WHSmith Travel have curated a selection of spine-tingling summer page turners, guaranteed to elevate any holiday, with an objective to showcase a diverse range of authors. From gritty crime dramas and coming of age stories, to laugh-out-loud fiction and inspiring essays and poetry, the ‘Perfect Summer Reads’ edit will be available across WHSmith Travel stores in large airports and rail locations in the UK:
The Bullet That Missed – Richard Osman
Honey & Spice – Bolu Babalola
The Boys from Biloxi – John Grisham
It Starts With Us – Colleen Hoover
Greenlights – Matthew McConaughey
Young Mungo – Douglas Stuart
Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
The Escape Artist – Jonathan Freedland
Act of Oblivion – Robert Harris
Undoctored – Adam Kay
Trespasses – Louise Kennedy
The Whale Tattoo – Jon Ransom
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
You made A Fool of Death with your Beauty – Akwaeke Emezi
Queer Life, Queer Love: The Second Anthology
Mike Roberts, Senior Books Buyer, WHSmith Travel, said: “We’ve loved working with easyJet Holidays to curate this selection of Perfect Summer Reads. There really is something for everyone; the edit includes some of the big summer blockbusters we know our customers are going to love, and an eclectic selection of diverse titles, authors and genres. So wherever you’re journey takes you this summer, you can pick up a guaranteed good read to enjoy on your travels.”
Chris Brown, Head of Marketing at easyJet Holidays, who commissioned the survey commented: “Books and holidays have always gone hand-in-hand. Whether it’s saving a particular novel for a holiday read, or grabbing that last-minute bestseller from the airport WHSmith, books help make a holiday relaxing. For those who aren’t usually avid readers at home, it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in something special. That’s why we’re extremely pleased to have partnered with WHSmith, to curate the ultimate list of perfect summer reads, showcasing a diverse range of authors, to help you elevate all our customers’ holiday experiences.”
Almost one in five (19%) say the best place to read a book is on a sun lounger, while 16% prefer to sit under the shade of a tree.
While 27% have even come up with the plot for their own novel while whiling away the hours on holiday, yet a forgetful 32% have left their book at home and been forced to read something random from the hotel library.
An honest 49% judge fellow holidaymakers on their beach reads, while 71% believe you can tell a lot about a person by the book they’re reading.
51% of Brits purchase their holiday book at the airport, while 47% are more organised and purchase them online before they jet off to sunnier climes.
