63% of travelers read print newspapers during hotel stays

Submitted: The Two Sides Team May 31, 2012

A full 63% of travelers read print newspapers during their hotel stay, according to USA TODAY’s just-released study of traveler habits. Additionally, 50% of frequent business travelers and 45% of frequent leisure travelers report reading print newspapers more while traveling than at home.

May 30, 2012

USAToday.com Travel

By Barbara De Lollis

A full 63% of travelers read printnewspapers during their hotel stay, according to USA TODAY’s just-released study of traveler habits.

Additionally, 50% of frequent businesstravelers and 45% of frequent leisure travelers report reading print newspapers more while traveling than at home.

Do these stats surprise you?

They sure struck a chord with my Facebook buddies, many of whom have iPads and mobile apps yet still like to pick up a physical paper at their hotels.

Frequent traveler Chris Byrd, for instance, says he loves to have the paper from his hotel to read during takeoff and landing. Same with Hickson Chen, who also likes the fact that “it’s free,” unlike the Financial Times that he likes to read.

No one said it, but I’m taking a guess that at least some people like it so they can bring it into the bathroom!

Among the other comments:

Hotel investment conference organizer Jim Burba says he stopped the subscriptions to the printed daily newspaper at home and now gets his news online. “But (I) can’t give up my USA TODAY when traveling,” he says. “Gotta have it on the plane with me.”
New York-based publicist Nancy Friedman chimes in: “Can’t live without the newspaper wherever I am!”
Newshound and TV consultant Doug Drew is so addicted to physical papers that he admits to stealing papers in front of other rooms.

To counter thoughts that this post may be too self-promotional, here’s my own two cents, speaking as a time-crunched business traveler who always tries to pack too much into my day: I pick up the paper from my hotel room and carry it with me to my first stop only sometimes, and of those times, I rarely ever make the time to read it.