Thomas Cook - The Father Of Modern Tourism

Thomas Cook - The Father Of Modern Tourism

We all travel more or less. We are further improving the tourism system through travel. But how many of us know the father or inventor of our modern tourism system? Therefore, this article is intended to inform the readers of  Bd Travel blogger about the father of modern tourism system. First of all, there are two classes of people in the tourism system. There was a class of people who could spend many holidays. Basically they were aristocratic and wealthy people. And other classes of people did not get any leave.

The aristocracy or the rich had enough time to travel which the middle or lower class could never do. This is mainly due to two reasons; Not having enough money to travel and not having enough time to travel. So travel or tourism was understood as the work of the rich. This trend was changed by Thomas Cook and brought modern tourism system. Modern tourism refers to a system where people of all levels can travel from their respective places according to their own abilities.

The modern tourism system is basically developed for people of all levels. As a result, not only one level of people but also all levels of people are currently traveling. So that the development of tourism is increasing at a fast pace. Thomas Cook is said to be the father of modern tourism. Thomas Cook was an English businessman. He is best known for his well-known travel agency, Thomas Cook & Son. He invented a way of traveling that no one had done before him. 

Thomas Cook

Cook was born in Melbourne in 1808. At the age of 10, he worked as a gardener's assistant in the local market for six pence ( British Currency ) a week. At the age of 14 he started making cupboards with his uncle. He was also involved in initiating into Christianity. He spent most of his life in Leicester. Thomas Cook was a prominent self-proclaimed personality. He had to face many professions and business risks, obstacles, defeats. At one point he even had to go bankrupt.

However, he never gave up, but kept trying. 

He has always fought for his non-sectarian thinking. The revolution and innovation that he brought 150 years ago with travel and tourism is still going on. He has shown the way for the public to spend their leisure time or holidays easily, affordably and tastefully. Holiday packages, travel hundi or checks, hotel discounts, holiday promotions and a variety of new customs are introduced, so that even low-income people can enjoy their short-term vacation much more beautifully.

During the Industrial Revolution new roads, railways, trains were coming and everyone was heading towards the city and due to this different doors were opened for travel. After the Industrial Revolution, when people officially announced weekly holidays and general holidays, people got more time to travel. Also more money, knowledge and encouragement to travel because then travel items, vehicles etc. become readily available. And this opportunity was taken by Thomas Cook.

Thomas Cook & Son

In 1841, for just 10 pound, he opened a travel agency called Thomas Cook & Son  Through his agency. he arranged a short journey of 12 miles with the first 500 people, at a cost of 12 pence (British currency) per person on 5 July of the same year. That was his turning point. He then traveled to various places, including London, Liverpool, Suffield, and Bristol. He also traveled by train to Paris, Brussels, and Frankfurt.

He started his career mainly for the lower class but later expanded his work to the middle class and rich people. Even the great people of that time accepted his service. However, due to the opening of a source of travel for the rich and the poor, some of the rich people of that time did not like his work, due to which he was often the victim of harassment. But he did not stop.

It was only because of his move that in 1850, 165,000 Londoners traveled outside of Europe. In 1899 it increased to 9 lakh 51 thousand people. Thomas Cook, the father of modern tourism, passed away at the end of his life on July 18, 1892 in Kington, Leicester.