Touring Equipment

I've seen quite some touring bikes out there using bar end shifters on drop bars. Apart from them possibly being more reliable than integrated shift levers, are there any other advantages/reasons why people use them for touring?

Cheap and mechanically simple if anything goes wrong. Friction shifting makes for a nicer ride too IMO. Action of shifting gears doesn't interfere with any front mounted luggage even if the cable routing sometimes needs to be a bit creative.

It's also relatively modular - you don't lose brakes AND gears if something happens to the lever or shifter.