Thomas Cook is a name that has become synonymous with tourism. The man behind the brand, Thomas Cook, was born in England in 1808 and went on to change the way people travel forever.
The Early Years of Thomas Cook
In his early years, Thomas Cook was a Baptist preacher who believed that travel could be a force for good. He organized his first tour in 1841 when he took a group of temperance campaigners on a train journey from Leicester to Loughborough. This trip was the start of something much bigger.
The Birth of Package Holidays
In 1855, Thomas Cook organized his first overseas trip, taking a group of travelers from England to Paris. This was the beginning of the package holiday as we know it today.
Package holidays are vacations where all aspects of the trip are pre-arranged and sold as a single product. They typically include transportation, accommodation, and sometimes meals and activities.
The Expansion of Thomas Cook
The success of his first trips led to the expansion of Thomas Cook’s business. He began organizing tours to other European countries and then expanded further afield to destinations such as Egypt and America.
Thomas Cook also played an important role in the development of rail travel. He negotiated reduced rates with railway companies which allowed him to offer affordable trips to more people.
The Legacy of Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook died in 1892 but his legacy lives on. Today, Thomas Cook is one of the largest travel companies in the world, offering package holidays to destinations all over the globe.
- It operates airlines such as Thomas Cook Airlines UK and Condor.
- It has its own hotel brands including SENTIDO Hotels & Resorts and Sunwing Family Resorts.
- It offers cruises through its subsidiary, Thomas Cook Cruises.
The Collapse of Thomas Cook
However, in September 2019, the company announced it had gone bankrupt. The collapse of Thomas Cook has been a huge shock to the travel industry and has left many customers stranded overseas.
The end of Thomas Cook is a sad moment in the history of tourism. The company played an important role in making travel accessible to more people and helped shape the way we vacation today.