From an old timers perspective when brifters first came out they tended to be a bit unreliable and had a shorter life than the modern units thus being not a tourists first choice.

Nothing wrong with modern brifters for touring AFAIK

Disclaimer: I have never used brifters, I had bar ends on my Surly LHT and I now ride a Rohloff equipped tandem and a Thorn Mercury Rohloff single bike.

Mike