Or so much of the travel industry would have you believe. Hard-nosed Managing Directors pen worthy articles in the travel trade press, and smooth talking marketing types in trendy glasses and black polo necks nod sagely and agree that printed brochures are old hat, passé, expensive and ineffective. The future is all about augmented-reality mobile apps, or choosing your holiday based on the recommendations of your Facebook friends and then booking them via your Google glasses.

Well, as Mark Twain might have said “reports of the death of the travel brochure have been greatly exaggerated”. Here at Caribtours we think that a well produced brochure still has its place. Not that we doubt the efficacy of websites, social media and recommendations from friends et al. It’s just that, in the same way that there are times when only a good old fashioned book will do, we believe that many of our customers still prefer the heft of a traditional brochure when browsing for their fortnight in the sun.

And whilst recommendations from friends (even Facebook ones) and the dubious pleasures of TripAdvisor are now undeniably part of the holiday buying process, we firmly believe that it is our job as a travel company to inspire you about places and experiences you (or your Facebook friends) might not be aware of.

Call us Luddites or iconoclasts, but shouldn’t researching your holiday be one of life’s little pleasures? How much enjoyment is to be found comparing scores and reading badly written polemics on TripAdvisor (not that we have anything to fear, check out the TripAdvisor scores of our hotels on our website)?

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into the making of a travel brochure (we’re not sure why you would, but indulge us), at Caribtours the process usually starts in April with a meeting between the great and good of the company to decide how last year’s editions can be improved, honed and generally made better. The Creative team then go off to produce design concepts, whilst our Product team fly off on seemingly interminable trips to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Arabia searching for the newest and most exciting hotels and resorts.

Based on their findings we decide upon the pagination before embarking on a two month whirlwind of contracting hotels, writing copy, choosing images and putting the pages together. By September, after many rewrites, late nights, creative disagreements and more packets of Custard Creams than would be considered healthy, the files are ready to go to the printer.

We try to reduce the environmental impact of the brochures as far as possible. They are printed on FSC accredited paper, which means that it comes from sustainably managed forests, in a plant that generates 40,000 kWh of solar power every year, recycles 97% of all of its waste and has 24% of the building’s heating recovered from the print presses.

So after six months hard work, our new collections finally launch on 17 October and, in our opinion, are our best yet, with 22 of the hottest new properties in the Caribbean and Mexico, and 27 fantastic new properties in the Indian Ocean and Arabia. 

We have also introduced the Indian Ocean and Arabia into our affordable luxury C by Caribtours collection, bringing you the best value the region has to offer, with the benefit and security of our legendary service, knowledge and enthusiasm. 

Please click here for more information about what's hot for 2015, or to order your complimentary copies. We then recommend curling up on the sofa with a glass of wine and immersing yourself in some of the finest travel experiences on the planet… before going online to check their TripAdvisor ratings.