The inventor of tourism is the British Thomas Cook , who was born in 1808 in the small city of Melbourne, England, but would be better known for his stay in Leicester.
He was a passionate man who was born into a world where most of the working class toiled six-day weeks and never traveled more than 20 miles from their homes. Thomas started working in an orchard at the age of 10 for a penny a day; but with great determination and hard work, this man would go on to build one of the world's largest travel companies.
Throughout his life, Thomas Cook worked as a Baptist preacher, carpenter, cabinetmaker, printer, publisher, political advocate, and tour guide. As a Baptist preacher, he walked thousands of miles and earned so little that he often worked in the dark to conserve candles and oil.
Having witnessed the effects of drunkenness at a young age, Cook believed that alcohol abuse was a major cause of the numerous social problems of the Victorian era and devoted much of his time and talent to supporting the Temperance movement in England for the rest of his life. In fact, his beginnings as a tour guide stemmed from his beliefs in temperance.
In 1841, he organized a special train to transport over 500 people from Leicester to Loughborough for a temperance meeting. For one shilling, passengers had access to the round trip, band music, afternoon tea, and a meal. Not bad at all!
In 1845, he organized his first for-profit railway excursion, and the following year he began offering trips outside England to Scotland, a country that captivated Cook and would remain one of his favorite destinations. For many of his early passengers, this was their first time on a train and the greatest distance they had ever traveled from home.
His travels increased, and in 1851, Thomas had the opportunity to arrange train travel and accommodation for people from the provinces traveling to London for the Great Exhibition, organized by Prince Albert. Thomas would transport over 150,000 people to London during the six months the exhibition lasted. This was one of the biggest events in England and one of the largest movements of people within Great Britain!
Until then, it was unlikely that most provincial inhabitants would travel to a town 20 miles away, let alone the city of London. It must have been a shock for many, who had probably never attended an event larger than a county agricultural fair, to witness the Great Exhibition, showcasing many of the greatest industrial inventions of the time, in the bustling capital of London.
His first trips would be aimed at the working class, but later his company would continue to accompany more middle-class passengers and even organize trips for royalty, the military and other important figures, given his growing reputation for being able to organize trips efficiently.
Cook quickly expanded his operations, accompanying voyages across Europe and North America, and even led the first commercial tour around the world. But perhaps no destination was more sacred to Thomas than his travels to Egypt and the Middle East. There, Thomas was able to witness firsthand the biblical lands he had read and preached about all his life, and spending time in the Holy Land was truly the fulfillment of many of his youthful dreams.
Source: https://independenttravelcats.com/
