New Delhi: Born on November 22, 1808, Thomas Cook was an English businessman who is famous for being the founder of the popular travel agency Thomas Cook & Son. Also, he was one of those early businessmen who developed the concept of the “package tour” which includes travel and accommodations, an idea that changed the very sector of tourism. In this article, we will take a look at the life and legacy of this man.
Thomas Cook and an early start to life
Thomas Cook was born in England’s Derbyshire and when he was just 10 years old, he began to work as an assistant to a local market gardener. In 1828, he became a Baptist missionary. He became a part of the temperance movement in the 1830s. On March 2, 1833, Cook married Marianne Mason. The couple had a son named John Mason Cook and a daughter named Annie Elizabeth.
On July 5, 1841, he escorted around 485 people on his first excursion and each of them paid one shilling each for the return train journey. His other early excursions involved taking 350 people on a tour of Scotland from Leicester, and arranging for 150,000 people to travel to London’s Great Exhibition. Four years later, he did his first abroad excursion and took two groups to France, Germany and Belgium, ending in Paris.
When did he establish Thomas Cook & Son?
In 1865, Thomas Cook bought the business premises on London’s Fleet Street and the office had a shop selling essential travel accessories, including luggage, guidebooks and telescopes. In 1872, he entered into a partnership with John Mason Andrew Cook, his son, and renamed the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son. Among many other things, they introduced the ‘hotel coupon’ in 1868.
The legacy of Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook established a tourism system and he made mass tourism a reality in Italy. He arranged for circular tickets on almost all Italian railways and also designed a series of hotel coupons. Also, he introduced the circular notes. The coupon system became popular in Italian cities. Also, this system made travel affordable to middle-class Italians.
Thomas Cook was an English businessman who is famous for being the founder of the popular travel agency Thomas Cook & Son. Also, he was one of those early businessmen who developed the concept of the “package tour”. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
