Books found to be a must-have for travellers

People going on long haul trips – perhaps including holidays to Dubai – have voted books as their top travel essential

People going on long haul trips – perhaps including holidays to Dubai – have voted books as their top travel essential.

In news that may be surprising given the popularity of MP3 players and other gadgetry, the humble paperback secured 24 per cent of the votes from a poll carried out by Skyscanner.

This was a higher percentage than for MP3 players (22 per cent) and laptops or personal digital assistants (ten per cent).

However, in good news for fellow travellers, 14 per cent voted deodorant or perfume as their top desert island item.

Rob Innes, head of marketing for Skyscanner, said books are popular because people can take them anywhere without having to worry about them being lost or stolen.

“It’s a low cost, no-tech form of entertainment. You don’t need to worry … that your battery will die mid-flight,” he added.

A recent survey carried out by online travel community TripAdvisor found that 15 per cent of Britons carry good luck charms such as photos or jewellery on aircraft to alleviate their travel stress.