Britons would rather read a real book on holiday than look at a screen

Forget Kindles and smartphones: Paper books are back for holidaying Britons, with almost 90% preferring to read one on their sunlounger than look at any sort of screen

• Britain is revealed as a nation of bookworms with 77 per cent reading on holiday
• More than a third (35 per cent) say they love the smell of a book 
• READ MORE: The one passport detail Britons are being warned not to overlook  

Forget e-books and smartphones, Britons would rather read a real book on holiday than look at any form of tech.

In fact, a study reveals that almost nine in ten (87 per cent) hold this view.

More than a third (35 per cent) say they love the smell of a book while almost a quarter (24 per cent) believe a device does not have the same aesthetic as the front cover of a novel.

A significant number of readers (22 per cent) think holding a book makes them appear more cultured while 11 per cent of modern Brits deem old-school hard-copy books as ‘retro and hip’.

The study reveals Britain is a nation of bookworms when it comes to going on holiday, with more than three-quarters (77 per cent) saying they always read a book when travelling.

A study reveals almost nine in ten (87 per cent) insist a real book is better to read on holiday than looking at any form of tech

In fact, four in five (79 per cent) think that a holiday isn’t ‘a real holiday’ without a book to read and almost half (49 per cent) read more books on holiday than they do for the rest of the year.

While 56 per cent admit it is one of the only times they take a proper break from looking at a screen.

Feeling more relaxed (74 per cent), having fewer distractions (54 per cent) and not worrying about work (23 per cent) are reasons why Britons read more on holiday, the findings show. 

Most are willing to make room in their suitcase for their chosen holiday tome, with 47 per cent purchasing online before jetting off to sunnier climates and 51 per cent splashing out on a book at the airport.

And it’s not just the contents behind the cover that Britons enjoy, as one in ten (10 per cent) also like that other people can see what they’re reading.

Likewise, an honest 49 per cent judge fellow holidaymakers on their beach reads, while 71 per cent believe you can tell a lot about a person by the book they’re reading.

The best holiday reading spot? Almost one in five (19 per cent) say it’s the sunlounger while 16 per cent prefer to sit under the shade of a tree.

Some 27 per cent have even come up with the plot for their own novel while whiling away the hours on holiday.

The best holiday reading spot? Almost one in five (19 per cent) say it’s the sunlounger while 16 per cent prefer to sit under the shade of a tree

Yet a forgetful 32 per cent have left their book at home and been forced to read something random from the hotel library.

The findings come from a survey by easyJet Holidays to celebrate its new partnership with WHSmith.

From ‘gritty’ crime dramas and coming-of-age stories to ‘inspiring’ poetry and ‘laugh-out-loud’ fiction, easyJet has curated a list of ‘Perfect Summer Reads’ for jetsetters.

This will be promoted in 140 WHSmith stores and co-branded with easyJet Holidays, based in UK airports and train stations.

Mike Roberts, senior books buyer at WHSmith Travel, said: ‘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.’

Chris Brown, Head of Marketing at easyJet Holidays, which 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.’

THE 15 ‘PERFECT SUMMER READS’ FROM CRIME DRAMAS TO COMING-OF-AGE STORIES AND LAUGH-OUT-LOUD FICTION 

• The Bullet That Missed, by Richard Osman
• Honey & Spice, by Bolu Babalola
• The Boys from Biloxi, by John Grisham
• It Starts With Us, by Colleen Hoover
• Greenlights, by Matthew McConaughey
• Young Mungo, by Douglas Stuart
• Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
• The Escape Artist, by Jonathan Freedland

• Act of Oblivion, by Robert Harris
• Undoctored, by Adam Kay
• Trespasses, by Louise Kennedy
• The Whale Tattoo, by Jon Ransom
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
• You made A Fool of Death with your Beauty, by Akwaeke Emezi
• Queer Life, Queer Love: The Second Anthology

Source: WHSmith and easyJet

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