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Was the obituary for guidebooks written too early?

Guidebooks are here to stay

For a while it seemed guidebook sales were in terminal decline but in recent years they’ve made a comeback. So why are we falling back in love with them?

The digital age has arrived, they said. The era of the guidebook is over, they said. That was in 2012, when guidebook sales in the UK and USA had plummeted by 40% since 2005. The situation looked bleak, with some sources predicting that the last guidebook in the UK would be sold within seven years – meaning 2019. Next year.

But the death knell for the printed guide is far from sounding. In 2015, sales in the UK and US rose for the first time in a decade – up by 4.45% - and they’ve only grown further since. What does the industry put this resurgence down to?

“The guidebook becomes a trusted travel companion,” explains Georgina Dee from DK Travel, which is relaunching its DK Eyewitness Travel Guides series this year to mark its 25th anniversary. “It enriches your trip through every step and the information is right there in your hand.”

Footprint Travel Guides and Bradt Travel Guides have both felt the comeback: the latter, which tends to focus on more niche destinations, posted its best-ever years between 2015 and 2017, with sales growing 32% in that time. Even though the market is still smaller than the ‘golden years’ of the 1990s, many believe these green shoots of recovery show guidebooks are here to stay. “For all the talk of shortening attention spans, there will always be people – people like Wanderlust readers – who want to properly get under the skin of a place,” says Adrian Phillips from Bradt.

Many travellers are looking for clarity and curation. “The internet is full of reviews, blogs and comparison sites,” says Wanderlust reader Suzy Pope. “But the guidebook makes sense of the cacophony of information.”

Others like the nostalgia. “Guidebooks are part of my memories,” adds Wanderlust reader Sarah Leese. “You make notes in them: what you loved, what to avoid if you go back. I love looking through old guides.”

So despite the digital revolution and its endless supply of inspirational material, people still see the guidebook as a useful, desirable tool. It looks like these trusted travel friends are here to stay.

‘There will always be people – like Wanderlust readers – who want to get under the skin of a place’