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200 years of holidays with Thomas Cook
2008 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Cook, a man who revolutionised our holiday habits and the way we travel.
2008 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Cook, a man who revolutionised our holiday habits and the way we travel.Features writer Hannah Gray takes a look at holidays through the ages, starting with the Victorians and working up to predictions of what travel could be like in the future.
In an era when foreign holidays are part of life for the vast majority of families, it seems strange to imagine a time when mass tourism just didn't happen.
And it's even stranger to think that today's multi-billion pound travel industry can in many ways trace its roots back to an 11-mile journey, and the desire to make the world a better place.
Next page: Hannah Gray looks back at holidays through the ages from Victorian and Edwardian times through the early 20th century thtrough to the space age.
What are your memories of Thomas Cook holidays?
Comment below or email us: features@ peterboroughtoday.co.uk.
Next page: Hannah Gray looks back at holidays through the ages from Victorian and Edwardian times through the early 20th century thtrough to the space age.
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Thomas Cook was a Victorian cabinet maker, and a member of the temperance movement, which aimed to reduce the amount of alcohol people drank.
A former Baptist preacher, Cook believed most social problems were related to alcohol consumption, and believed the lives of working people would be greatly improved if they drank less and became better educated.
It was as he walked from his home in Market Harborough to Leicester to attend a temperance meeting that the first seeds of his business idea were planted.
As he walked along the road, he later recalled: "The thought suddenly flashed across my mind as to the practicability of employing the great powers of railways and locomotives for the furtherance of social reform."
From this idea in 1841, he set about starting his travel business.
On July 5 of that year, he took 570 temperance campaigners from Leicester to Loughborough to attend a rally, a journey of about 11 miles, and charged people a shilling each – and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Thomas Cook sends more than six million people on holiday each year, and is the country's second biggest travel firm, and one of the city's biggest employers. Destinations cover the entire globe and all types of holiday, although Cook himself had quite specific ideas about what holidays should be like when he founded his company.
Paul Smith, the archivist who runs a mini-museum from the company's UK headquarters in Bretton, Peterborough, said Cook's holidays weren't about chilling out on the beach.
"He was a big believer in rational recreation – he wanted people to see the world, see things, expand their minds. And he achieved that," Mr Smith said.
"Thomas Cook brought travel to the masses. If someone is interested in tourism they should come and see the old diaries and posters.
"It's amazing what he achieved. There are very few places that we visit today that he didn't go to in the 19th century. In the 1890s we could send you anywhere, any place, any means, any route."
Speaking about the anniversary of Cook's birth, group chief executive officer of Thomas Cook, Manny Fontenla-Novoa, said: "Thomas Cook once described himself as 'the willing and devoted servant of the travelling public', and I believe that today we maintain many of his original ideas and inspirations by keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do.
"Even with his ambition and foresight, he would never have dreamt that the company would still be proudly carrying his name 200 years after his birth, and would no doubt be even more impressed by its size, success and incredible people today.
"Very few companies in any industry sector can boast such a rich history and heritage as strong as ours that positions us today as one of the world's leading travel companies in the 21st century."
Next page: Hannah Gray looks back at holidays through the ages from Victorian and Edwardian times through the early 20th century thtrough to the space age.
Anyone interested in visiting the archives can do so by making an appointment with Mr Smith by e-mailing paul.smith@thomascook.com.
External link:
Thomas Cook website - www.thomascook.com.2008 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Cook, a man who revolutionised our holiday habits and the way we travel.
Hannah Gray looks back at holidays through the ages:
Victorian and Edwardian times
Technological developments in the early 19th century had a profound effect on transport and travel, and the growth of mass tourism was inspired by entrepreneurs like Thomas Cook.
During the first decade of the 20th century, travel continued to expand, encouraged by the increasing wealth, curiosity and outgoing attitudes of the post-Victorian population and steady improvements in transport, leading to introduction of automobile and, later, air travel.
Travel in the '20s and '30s
The introduction of commercial air travel in 1919, as well as increased prosperity and large-scale migration in the '20s meant unprecedented demand for trans-Atlantic travel.
Railways were in decline as motorised public road transport was introduced.
This was the era of the charabancs – a rudimentary form of coach.
This period also saw the introduction of the holiday camp - Billy Butlin opened his first camp at Skegness in 1936 and Thomas Cook opened a camp at Prestatyn in 1939.
Despite the rising appeal of foreign holidays, mass tourism between the world wars remained largely domestic. The introduction of the Holidays with Pay Act in 1938 meant that some 11 million of the 19 million workforce in Britain were entitled to paid holidays. This development was crucial in generating mass travel.
Holidays in the '50s, '60s and '70s
There was growth in civil aviation after the Second World War, as increased interest in overseas travel and social changes after the war stimulated a desire to travel. Increased leisure time, increased income and growth in car ownership all had an effect.
Paid holidays for industrial workers were also effective after the Second World War.
Commercial jet services developed during the '50s with further development in 1970 when the first wide-bodied jets (Boeing 747s) were introduced.
This period saw the growth of charter flights and package holidays and the emergence of "sun, sea and sand" holidays.
France and Italy were popular throughout this period, but Spain was cheaper and became dominant from the mid-'60s onwards.
The relaxing of foreign currency restrictions and introduction of longer paid holidays led to the development of the winter holiday market in the '70s.
Destinations of the '80s and '90s
The number of foreign holidays taken by UK residents increased from 11.7million in 1980 to 35.0 million in 1999. The number of package holidays also increased over the same period, but at a slower rate.
Package holidays accounted for roughly two-thirds of all foreign holidays in 1980, but only about half of all holidays in 2000.
This period also witnessed a growth in short-break tourism and activity holidays. At the same time technological improvements in aircraft led to greater fuel capacity and fewer stopovers, so long-haul destinations became cheaper and more accessible. An increase in the popularity of villas, timeshares and self-catering holidays saw more flexible holiday formats emerging and the all-inclusive holiday emerged in the mid-'90s.
Space travel: the future?
So what does the future hold for Thomas Cook? Will we be travelling to space for our holidays in years to come? Or will concerns about carbon omissions mean holidays our ancestors enjoyed in good ole' Blighty will become the norm again.
A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: "Thomas Cook was the original pioneer of travel but – since he organised his first trip in 1841 – the number of people taking a holiday and the means by which they get to their destination, have changed beyond words.
"We are set to see even greater change in the future as holiday destinations on earth – and perhaps beyond – become more accessible and therefore more popular.
"Whatever happens, we're confident that package holidays will continue to be the most popular way to holiday because they offer so much choice, value for money and peace of mind."
Thomas Cook is taking the lead when it comes to more environmentally friendly travel arrangements as they liaise with hotels and airlines to ensure "greener" travel is possible.
The spokesperson continued. "People will want to continue to travel and should be encouraged to do so responsibly, so we must all strive to do everything possible to minimise any harmful impact on the planet.
"Travel companies such as Thomas Cook are taking a lead in this area and we are working closely with hotels and airlines to ensure that future generations can enjoy holiday destinations too."
External link:
Thomas Cook website - www.thomascook.com.
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