Nowadays, traveling to other countries has become commonplace. In order to go to any corner of the planet, you just need to prepare a certain amount of money and find a travel agency. We are so accustomed to the concept of "tourism" that we think that this type of recreation has existed for a long time. However, he is actually only 170 years old. Tourism appeared in England on July 5, 1841. Today we will talk about its founder and the success story of this man whose name is Thomas Cook. The founder of tourism lived a very interesting life. The story of his success is very curious.
Origin and childhood Cook
Cook's life began in poverty, like many great businessmen, such as Thomas Lipton, Walt Disney, John Rockefeller. All of them had to experience hardship in childhood. Perhaps that is why they have become purposeful and successful people. Thomas's father died when he was still very young. After his death, Cook took up stepfather. He treated the boy as his own son.
The family did not have enough money, so Thomas began working from the age of 10. He became a henchman at the gardener. The boy received 6 pence per week for his work. When he was 14 years old, he got a job in a carpentry workshop. At the age of 19, Thomas quit there. Despite the heavy workload, he still had some free time, which Thomas used to attend the school, which was located at the monastery. The knowledge gained here greatly helped Cook in later life.
Baptism Cook, Missionary
Faith was one of Cook's main success engines. In 1826, at the age of 17, he was baptized and became a Baptist. The young man began to write actively in the Baptist magazine. He also taught at a Sunday school and preached in the vicinity of Loughborough (where he lived), as well as in nearby villages.
Thomas Cook really enjoyed active missionary work. She brought the young man a lot of acquaintances. In addition, he received 10 shillings a week for her, which at that time was considered a good income. However, the foundation of the Baptist organization had dried up by the end of 1830, and Thomas had to look for another source of livelihood.
Marriage, workshop work, sobriety vow
Cook decided to continue to engage in carpentry. In a small town next to Loughborough, he rented a carpentry workshop. By the way, Thomas did not move here alone. He brought with him Marian Myson, a young wife whom Cook had met while studying at Sunday School.
Thomas, despite the difficult work in the workshop, continued to carry out missionary work. In addition, he actively advocated the rejection of alcohol. In 1833, Thomas Cook took a vow of sobriety.
Cook becomes Secretary of the Teetotaler Society
Cook's workshop began to flourish by the end of 1836. He could already hire assistants. Then Thomas Cook became secretary of the Society of teetotalers. This organization conducted its activities in the city of Harboraf. After that, Thomas began to carry out propaganda of alcohol abandonment even more actively. He began to publish the journal The Monthly Herald of Sobriety in 1839. A year later, Thomas began to issue the country's first magazine for children, which also dealt with the rejection of alcohol.
Preparation for the first trip
When Thomas Cook learned in 1840 that a railway line was opening near his city, he decided that this was his chance to do something more to promote a sober lifestyle. Thomas decided to hire a train to take his like-minded people to Loughborough. The congress of the teetotalers association of central England (southern counties) was to be held here. Thomas Cook approached this decision with all responsibility and ingenuity.
Firstly, he talked so excitingly about the upcoming trip that John Fox Bell, secretary of the railway society, was enthusiastic. He even agreed to pay the necessary upfront costs. Secondly, Cook is very carefully prepared for the upcoming trip. Thomas arranged a cultural program and food at Loughborough, printed and distributed tickets and posters. Moreover, he decided not to be limited to his native city. Cook sent out travel invitations to other places. It should be said that careful preparation became the key to the Cook's prosperity.
Tourism Birthday
So, on July 5, 1841, 570 people went to Loughborough. They occupied 9 train cars. This day is considered the birthday of tourism in its current concept. The trip was a huge success. Cook was inspired by her and decided to organize new trips. For example, he constantly conducted excursions for the poor. Their cost for an adult was only 1 shilling, and for children - 6 pence. The basic principle of Cook was to get the maximum possible benefits for the largest number of people at the lowest price.
Caring for customer comfort
In addition to the fact that each tour was carefully planned, one of the main components of Cook's success was the fact that he personally participated in trips. Many people traveled by train for the first time and did not know what to do and how to behave. Thomas Cook instructed all of them and made sure that they were as comfortable as possible.
Railway Management Contract
After some time, with the increasing popularity of travel and an increase in the number of customers, Cook entered into a contract with the management of the railways. Under this agreement, he was given significant discounts. Thomas even came up with a slogan that read: "Railways are for millions!" He decorated almost all the fences, poles and shop windows.
The ability to "catch the wave"
Cook's ability to “catch the wave” has become an important factor in the success of his company. The first time an important event for Thomas's activity occurred in the 1840s. At this time, unions made sure that workers were granted annual leave. The people who received it did not know what to do in their free time. And then Thomas offered them a tempting pastime.
Cook then developed tourist routes to Scotland. Lovers of the works of Robert Burns and Walter Scott went here. Almost every resident of England read these authors at that time, and the marketing calculation made by Cook turned out to be correct. Everyone wanted to personally visit the places that were described in the works of these writers.
Thomas was the first to discover castles and palaces of aristocrats for excursions. What seems to us an ordinary thing today, once became a revolution in public consciousness. It was Thomas Cook who made it. By the way, he also came up with traveler's checks as a type of financial document.
The ability to "catch the wave" and constantly develop new routes is one of the main factors in the popularity and development of the Cook company. We will not describe in detail all the trips organized by this entrepreneur. We will only say that he was able to “rediscover” the British their country (Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man). But not only her - all of Europe, the Holy Land, America and even India were included in Cook's tourist routes.
By the way, the branch of the agency created by him ("Thomas Cook and Son") in America was headed by his son John Mason Cook. Mark Twain was one of his first clients. He highly recommended this company to President Grant himself. Agree, this says a lot!
Thomas Cook Guides
Cook's “discoveries” do not end there. It was he who first set about publishing guides. They described in detail the main attractions, gave advice on how to behave in a particular country or city. In addition, Thomas Cook published a magazine called "Excursionist." He went out until the very beginning of World War II. This magazine was the first of its kind.
Trips to Mecca
The role of Thomas Cook in the development of tourism does not end there. In 1878, the Governor General of India addressed the businessman. He asked him to open a new direction of tourism specifically for Muslims - a pilgrimage to Mecca. Of course, the trip was a success. After that, at the headquarters of Cook's company, located in London, a new branch was opened specifically for pilgrims.
Trip around the world
The company "Thomas Cook and Son" is the first tour operator to use aircraft to transport customers. It happened in 1919. Thomas Cook organized the first round-the-world tour in 1872-73. Its duration was 222 days. Travelers overcame 25 thousand miles during this time. To commemorate the round date, Cook organized a trip around the world in 1991. This time it took him only 34 days.
The fortune of Cook and his heirs
We must pay tribute to the forethought of this entrepreneur, his ability to delve into the details, to predict a variety of situations. When the founder of tourism died (this happened in 1892), his fortune was estimated at a large amount - 2497 pounds. Not bad for a person who started working for just 6 pence a week. The work of his father was continued by John Mason Cook. He died after 7 years, leaving a legacy of property that was valued at 663,534 pounds. After his death, the case fell into the hands of his grandchildren - Thomas Albert, Ernest Edward and Frank Henry. The descendants of Thomas owned the company until the end of the 1920s. After that, the management of the company was transferred to an association of entrepreneurs.
Cook company today
And in our time, the business that Thomas Cook began to flourish. The tour operator he created today is the largest and most respectable tourism company in the British Isles. In terms of economic indicators, the company is the second in Europe, and the third in the world. In the UK, as well as in many other countries, there are more than a thousand of its agencies. Now more than 16 thousand employees work for this company.
By the way, a very young company, Intourist - Thomas Cook, operates in Russia. This is the result of the merger of the two oldest companies in their field. Intourist was established in 1929. The company created as a result of the merger works in the field of servicing foreign businessmen and tourists, and also offers a large selection of individual and group tours to St. Petersburg, Moscow, the cities of the Russian North and the Golden Ring, etc. Intourist - Thomas Cook is located in Moscow at address 5th Donskoy proezd, building 15 (p. 5). But not only in the capital there is a company associated with the name of our hero. And in other cities of our country, you can find an organization in the name of which appears "Thomas Cook." Murmansk is one of them.