Interesting facts about tourism and travel in general. Interesting Facts

The definition of tourism includes the concept of leaving one's local area in search of new experiences. We're getting out of personal comfort to find pleasure and the same comfort somewhere there. Tourists and travelers are truly amazing people.

Denis Tito can be considered such an amazing tourist, dreamed for many years or at least made a trip there. At first he was rejected by NASA, considering him not physically fit enough. Then he had to overcome obstacles in Russia, where the Mir station, the intended destination, failed due to its operating life. Only in 2001, Tito was able to make a tourist visit to space on the Soyuz TM-32 spacecraft, a device that delivers cargo to the ISS. Denis had to pay 20 million dollars to make his dream come true. But what is this amount compared to the sensations and emotions received!

Sex tourism, as it turns out, arose a very long time ago. It became a kind of manifestation of female feminism at the beginning of the 19th century. Women, individually or in groups, traveled to “abroads” in order to indulge in pleasures with foreigners.

First economy tour was organized by the English enthusiast T. Cook in 1841. He offered poor people ride the train, paying one shilling per trip. Passengers were served buns and drinks and musicians played.

This information will be of interest to lovers of gold jewelry. There are machines that sell gold in Abu Dhabi. This is the only place where such a service is offered.

Favorite place for many travelers– Thailand became a destination for mass tourist visits after the Vietnam War. During the ongoing hostilities, US Army soldiers came there to rest.

Japan lures tourists with various exotic offers. One of them is to create giant paintings of their rice sprouts. These works of art can be seen while flying over the fields in a helicopter or hot air balloon.

Who doesn't want to bring a souvenir with them? after the visit architectural monument antiquity. This is especially true for tourist countries such as Greece or Italy. In order to preserve the buildings and not “offend” tourists, workers at the Parthenon Museum are asked to scatter pieces of marble at night.

For those who love an extravagant holiday, a visit is suggested Chernobyl zone. It was recognized as “a super extravagant tourist destination where you can see something that you can’t find anywhere else on Earth.”

An ardent fan of tourism was the super-Nazi A. He believed that active travel toughens people and shapes real fighters. Who might be scared by the recent unrest in Greece? Except tourists from Europe and America. But this is not the case for the Russians.

For guests of Israel there is another attraction, in addition to historical artifacts and natural beauty. This is Harry Potter's grave. But it doesn’t rest in her famous character, and an ordinary soldier of the British army who died on Israeli soil in 1939.

Tensions between countries in the Middle East affects tourism business. For example, a person whose passport contains an Israeli visa will not be able to visit neighboring Muslim countries, even if he has visas open for them.

The largest hotels have been built in America. There are two dozen of them in total. Of these largest hotel complexes, seventeen are located in Las Vegas.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a movement appeared among rich youth- “wandering students.” It was a protest against the bourgeois environment in which they grew up. Young people set off on a journey to places with harsh climates and difficult conditions for survival. This is how they tried to express themselves and feel the essence of real life.

One of the most unusual items, forgotten by visiting people in hotels there was an urn with ashes. She was forgotten by the man who brought the remains of his wife to scatter them in a memorial place for them. Fearing that he wouldn't make it to his destination in time during rush hour, he left the trash can on the windowsill in a hurry. He returned for her an hour later.

Wedding bustle makes you forget not only flowers or rings, but also your own children. One young couple forgot their eight-month-old baby in their hotel room, thinking that their loved ones had already taken him. Seeing the absence of the baby, they immediately returned.

Cities, seas, resorts, hikes. This list can continue indefinitely. Curious, where did organized travel begin? Perhaps the answer to this question is already from the series “ Interesting Facts about tourism."

World's first tour

It was July 5, 1841, when an adherent of Baptistism and a fighter against drunkenness, an Englishman Thomas Cook decided to organize a tourist voyage. He gathered 570 workers and sent them on a “non-alcoholic” trip between the cities of Leicester and Loughborough, located in Leicestershire. To do this, he asked the Midland Counties Railway for a special train. The first tourists experienced enthusiastic feelings from the picturesqueness of the route. Therefore, this date can be considered the birthday of tourism, and Thomas Cook – its “inventor”. People liked such trips and soon began to take place quite regularly.
As for the organization of tourist trips, they have their own history with certain stages.

1. At the beginning, Cook had absolutely no benefit. He organized them, one might say, on a voluntary basis.
2. Only four years later, he earned his first money by organizing an excursion to Liverpool. It was clearly evident that Thomas did not work for the sake of making money. He was fascinated by the process of organizing tourist trips.
3. Since 1846, Cook began to conduct thematic trips. The first were trips to Scotland - to native land poet R. Burns and writer W. Scott. Later he began to take people to the Isle of Man, Wales, and Ireland.
4. In the fifties of the 19th century, routes to European cities appeared. The first trip abroad was a voyage in 1855 to the World Exhibition in Paris.
5. From the mid-sixties he began to show the British New World, and for Americans - their historical homeland.

The world's first travel agency

Of course, it is not difficult to guess that it was Cook who began to manage the first office dealing with tourist trips. It was called Thomas Cook and Son. An interesting fact is that one of her first American clients was the famous Mark Twain. This agency has become world famous. 50 years later tour operator Thomas Cook & Son already had 85 agencies and 84 branches, whose services were used by more than 3 million tourists. She is thriving and today, being the largest and most respectable travel company on the British islands. The agency's reputation is high and unshakable. Thomas Cook & Son is a guarantee of comfort, safety, and educational experience for any trip booked with it.

The world's first round the world tour

An interesting fact about tourism is that the organizer of the first trip around the world for ordinary people in the early seventies of the century before last there was also Thomas Cook. Over the course of 222 days, the travelers covered 25,000 miles. In the early nineties of the last century, in honor of its 150th anniversary, the eminent company organized another trip around the world, which took only 34 days.
It can be said with full conviction that the life and work of Thomas Cook was often accompanied by the word “first”. By the way, this also applies to the first magazine for tourists called “Excursionist,” which was published until the start of World War II.
In 2012, the first organized tourist trip celebrated its 165th anniversary. Thomas Cook & Son, while honorably preserving the traditions of its founder, infused them with youthful excitement, unbridled imagination and modern sound.

Want to know where the world's largest swimming pool is and where you can go for $20 million? Then read our article!

Many people cannot imagine life without travel. It’s so interesting to visit new countries and cities, learn the culture and traditions of other peoples, and just change the scenery and take your mind off everyday problems! Traveling gives us the opportunity to expand our horizons and experience unforgettable emotions.

But it was not always so. Mass tourism appeared only in 1841; before that, only very wealthy people could afford to travel. Now almost everyone can go on a trip, there is great amount services that allow you to save on tickets and hotels. Even the opportunity to go to a neighboring city is already a journey.

Like any other industry, tourism has developed and continues to develop. In tourism activities Long story and many interesting facts. I will write about some of them below.

Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook can easily be called the founder of tourism. And there are several reasons for this:

• On July 5, 1841, Thomas Cook organized the first trip for 570 workers, and Cook himself earned absolutely nothing on this trip. He received his first income only in 1845, by organizing an excursion to the city of Liverpool. Thomas organized trips mainly around Great Britain, and only in 1855 the first trip abroad was organized, to the city of Paris;
• The first circumnavigation of the world was also organized by Thomas Cook. The journey lasted 222 days;
• Thomas Cook was the founder of the first tour operator, which continues to operate successfully to this day;
• The first tourism magazine, The Excursionist, was published under the direction and editorship of Thomas Cook.

Comfortable tourism

You won't believe who was the first to decide to create the most comfortable conditions for relax. This is... Adolf Hitler, who believed that in order to increase stress resistance and performance, a person needs to rest in comfortable conditions.

The most expensive tourist trip in the world

The most expensive tour was bought by Denis Tito, a businessman from America, in 2001. The cost of the tour was $20 million. It was a tour into space, to the International Space Station.

City with the longest name in the world

Krung Thep Maha Nakorn Amon Rattanakosin Mahanindra Ayutthaya Mahadilok Pop Noprarat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratniwet Amonpiman Avatansatip Sapkakatiya Visanukkampasit (and this is a slightly shortened version), which translated means City of Angels, great city, residence of the emerald Buddha, impregnable city, great capital of the world, endowed with nine ancient stones, replete with huge royal palaces, resembling a heavenly abode, from which the personification of God rules, the city presented by Indra, built by Wissanukam. The name of this city is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest name settlement in the world. And so that tourists, and indeed all people in general, do not suffer when pronouncing the long name of the city, it was shortened. This is for everyone famous city Bangkok.

How Thailand became a popular holiday destination

Thailand began to gain popularity after the Vietnam War. The country was a home front and a place of rest American soldiers. The soldiers really liked the nature of Thailand, and low prices holidays at the resort have become popular.

The largest swimming pool in the world

The largest pool is located, no, not V UAE, as many people think, but V San Alfonso del Mar is a resort in Chile. Pool depth 35 meters, and the length is 1 kilometer, in pool sea water.

The most "leaning tower"

And this is not Pisa, whose inclination angle is 4 degrees. And the tower, whose inclination is 12 degrees, is located in Suizhong County.

The most dangerous excursion

The most interesting and at the same time the most dangerous excursion in the world, according to many travel publications, including Forbes magazine, this is an excursion to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant zone.

In Mexico, at the Eco Alberto holiday park, you can book a night excursion where you can feel like a Mexican migrant trying to cross the border into America. A night full of adventure awaits you: you will have to run a lot, crawl and hide, and overcome various obstacles.

Buy a whole state

For just $80,000 (price indicated at the beginning of 2017) you can buy the entire state of Liechtenstein. You will receive the keys from the state, you will be able to arrange dinner party in a palace. The whole state will be yours, but only for 24 hours.

"For memory"

We all bring from our travels various souvenirs, magnets, local delicacies, seashells or stones that are part of ancient structures. For example, in Athens the authorities are very concerned about the fate of the Parthenon. The authorities are afraid that the architectural monument will be taken away piece by piece, and have decided to hire special workers who scatter marble stones around the temple at night.

Forgotten things

Tourists often forget various things in hotels, most often clothes. In the English city of Peterborough, a maid discovered an urn containing ashes. To the most unusual forgotten things can also be attributed: a whole suitcase stuffed Marvel comics, a huge stuffed parrot, an Olympic torch.

Australia and Austria

Quite often, tourists confuse the names of these two countries, and this is not surprising, because they are very similar. In Austria there is even road signs, on which it is written/drawn “There are no kangaroos here.” Also sold a lot souvenir products with the same logo.

Traveling gnomes

In the 80s appeared in the West interesting tradition. Travelers "borrowed" garden gnomes, in their place they left a note “I want to see the world.” They took the gnomes on a trip, took a photo of the gnome against the backdrop of landmarks, and then returned it with an attached photo from the place where they were.

Kingdom of Bhutan

Despite the fact that many countries are fighting among themselves for every tourist attracted, there is a country that is against the development of mass tourism in its country. Until 1974, it was possible to enter this country only with an invitation from the royal family, that is, not at all.

Today you can visit Bhutan, but for no more than 15 days and subject to paying a daily tax, which, by the way, is quite large. You can purchase a tour to the kingdom from only a few tour operators that have a special license. In this way, rulers protect their culture and nature.

There are many funny and interesting facts and events in the history of tourism development. They are related to general development humanity, and tell us a lot of amazing things about the lives of our ancestors and contemporaries. Here are a few interesting information from eventful history of tourism.

First ever group tour. In 1841, the first ever group tour for the poor took place in England. Enthusiast T. Cook came up with the idea of ​​organizing a train trip lasting twenty miles, all participants in this “tour”, having paid only a shilling, received sweet buns and tea along the way. In addition, a cultural program was organized on the train - a brass band played.

Tourism for political purposes. One of the ardent supporters of civilized tourism was A. Hitler, who believed that every member of the society he was building was obliged to spend his vacation with maximum benefit. According to the great historical “villain,” tourism could give the Aryans nerves of steel, which would strengthen them in the fight.

Tourism as a protest. At the beginning of the 20th century, the children of the richest European elite expressed their protest against the bourgeois environment in which they grew up in a very unique way. They went on long hikes in the harshest conditions. These trips served both as a method of hardening and as a method of self-expression. This movement was called “wandering students.”

Tourism was developed by the Decembrists. In Russia, the first excursions and hikes were the initiative of the Decembrists, who were involved in the education of children. They set off with their charges on a journey through the surrounding region in search of interesting plants and animals.

Tourism for women and men. There is a huge difference in understanding have a nice rest man and woman. The beautiful half of humanity has long been looking for an opportunity to rejuvenate, improve their appearance, and lose weight through travel. excess weight. Today, SPA resorts do an excellent job of this. Men, on the other hand, crave complete relaxation, plenty of alcohol, delicious cuisine, interesting impressions, real extreme.

Haunted tourism. One of the most popular types of tourism from antiquity to the present day remains tourist “ghost hunting”. The most expensive trip for a young couple will not be a luxurious one. beach holiday at one of the leading resorts, not in the descent on the mountain slopes of Switzerland, not in the exciting diving or trip to Japan, but in visiting an old English castle with haunts, and spending several nights there in the hope of seeing or hearing evidence of the existence of ghosts.

Nutritional features. The buffet is an excellent bait for tourists who dream of hearty and plentiful food on vacation. However, according to tourism statistics, more than 80% of all food poisonings occur among buffet fans. And the reason is not at all the quality of the dishes themselves - most hotels carefully monitor this, but the fact that people cannot correctly combine different components of the proposed menu, especially if they are trying some dishes for the first time. The desire to try more different foods at once leads to disruptions in work digestive system. It is Russian tourists, known for their culinary greed, who suffer most from such consequences.

Which resort is better? An interesting study was conducted by psychologists. They calculated which criteria for assessing the quality of resorts are more trusted by Russians. The first places were not the quality of the hotel and the cleanliness of the sea. The leading position is occupied by the presence beautiful women vacationers at this resort. In second place are accessibility and variety. alcoholic drinks. Rounding out the top three are the availability of golf courses and opportunities to practice other favorite sports - volleyball and tennis.

The future of tourism.

Paradoxical dynamics distinguish modern tourism - the most expensive holidays are in the most remote corners different countries with the most primitive amenities, or with a skillful stylization of the primitiveness of amenities. A modest village in Norway, lost among the picturesque hills, or a real fishing village in Japan today attract wealthy tourists much more than five-star hotels in the world's leading resorts.