Thomas Cook and the modern tourism industry. The Evolution of International Tourism - Essay Example

? The Victorian entrepreneur Thomas Cook is generally regarded as the founder of modern tourism. Consider the achievement of the company he founded and judge which of the contributions Cook made to modern tourism have had the most lasting effect on the industry. 1. Introduction Through the centuries, the form and the characteristics of business activities have been highly alternated, being aligned with the social, political and economic conditions of each era. Modern tourism is an indicative example of this trend. The specific industry has appeared rather early, around the 15th century; however, it was only in the 19th century that the first schemes of modern tourism appeared. Thomas Cook has been an entrepreneur who highly influenced modern tourism. The perceptions of the above entrepreneur on tourism had led to the transformation of the industry and the establishment of advanced forms of tourism, which affected not only the British but also the global economy. The impact of Thomas Cook on modern tourism is reviewed in this paper. Emphasis is given on the contributions of Thomas Cook that mostly affected the tourism industry; reference is made both in the short and the long-term effects of the intervention of Thomas Cook in the tourism industry. It is made clear that the role of Thomas Cook in the development of modern tourism has been decisive. However, the current form of modern tourism is the result of the rapid development of technology worldwide, which allowed the improvement of infrastructure for the needs of the tourism industry and the increase of destinations. Because of Thomas Cook the tourism industry was made accessible to people of all economic and social characteristics, a fact which is considered as the key contribution of Thomas Cook in the specific industry, along perhaps with the packaging tours, a scheme first introduced by Thomas Cook (Sayre and King 2009). In other words, Thomas Cook set the basis for modern tourism; the industry’s development through the decades has been strongly based on economic and technological development as promoted in countries worldwide. 2. Thomas Cook and the modern tourism industry 2.1. Origins and characteristics of the modern tourism industry The first forms of tourism can be identified in Britain of 15th century. In the 16th century also, the mansions used across England ‘became cultural centres’ (Page and Connell 2006, p.28). It was during the above periods that the origins of tourism can be identified. The ‘visiting friends and relatives scheme’ (Page and Connell 2006, p.28) was considered as the initial form of tourism in Britain. In the 17th century, the ‘polite tourism’ (Page and Connell 2006, p.28) was highly developed. In the context of this type of tourism, visits were made to important members of the society (Page and Connell 2006). The health tourism, i.e. the visit to areas that would benefit the health, also appeared in the 17th century, and has been further developed up today (Page and Connell 2006). In the centuries that followed, the characteristics of tourism were changed. Instead of a pleasure enjoyed by only the rich, tourism became an activity for the masses; the mass tourism, which was first developed by Thomas Cook, as, explained below. The most common view regarding the development of modern tourism is included in the study of Best (2010). In accordance with the above researcher, the transformation of travel to modern tourism took place in 1841 through the ‘railway journey from Leicester to Loughborough in the context of a Temperance meeting’ (Best 2010, p.139). Thomas Cook arranged the above meeting considering that it would be a good chance for families to visit a place with a dry climate, like Loughborough. The relationship between modern tourism and the above event is highly emphasized in the literature, showing the contribution of Thomas Cook in the development of travel as a leisure activity. The transformation of tourism through the centuries reveals the following fact: tourism has passed a phase of democratization, meaning that it has become approachable to people of different social and economic status, despite its initial role, as an activity available to the elites (Page and Connell 2006). Modern tourism has been mostly related to the industrialization of the production, meaning that it was during the 19th century that modern tourism first appeared (Butcher 2003). In this context, modern tourism is characterized by equality in access of leisure travel and low cost, compared to the past, so that people of all economic backgrounds can participate in such activities (Butcher 2003). Another characteristic of modern tourism is the variety of destinations; indeed, because of the high development of technology, visiting places around the world in a short period of time has become feasible; the high range of available destinations is considered as the key advantage of modern tourism, compared to the earlier forms of tourism, as indicatively described above. It should be noted that the development of modern tourism has been also supported by two more facts: economic development worldwide has been rapid; the distance between classes has been decreased, as more people have access to a high income. In this context, traveling for leisure has become approachable to people who could not, normally, afford such activity. For example, because of the industrialization, a high number of people moved from rural to urban areas; these people entered organizations operating in various industries. The compensation involved has been high, compared to the monthly income resulted by work in the rural areas; in this context, people have been able to participate in tourism schemes (Butcher 2003). Another factor positively influenced the modern tourism has been the development of infrastructure in countries worldwide. In the past, the infrastructure available for tourism purposes has been quite poor. Today, with the support of the technology, infrastructure in urban and rural areas has been highly developed, especially in areas, which are considered as key tourism destinations (Butcher 2003). Therefore, modern tourism should be considered as related to the significant changes in the social, economic and technological environment as developed in countries worldwide since the 19th century. Thomas Cook has highly promoted modern tourism by emphasizing on the social and economic changes of his era, a result of the industrialization process of the 19th century. The technological changes that followed, as a result of the transformation of societies in terms of their economic and social status, have further helped towards the realization and the expansion of the ideas of Thomas Cook regarding the promotion of mass tourism. 2.2 The impact of Thomas Cook on the modern tourism industry 2.2.1 How Thomas Cook has affected the modern tourism industry Thomas Cook has significantly influenced modern tourism. In fact, the particular entrepreneur made clear that tourism would rather address the masses (Aramberri and Butler 2005, p.76), instead of addressing the entertainment needs of specific parts of the population. Because of his involvement in the promotion of tourism for the masses, Thomas Cook is often considered as ‘the father of mass tourism’ (Aramberri and Butler 2005, p.76). However, Thomas Cook has not been related only to the development of mass tourism; rather, he has been involved in the promotion of tourism, as a key industry in the global market. For this reason, when having to explore the status and the perspectives of modern tourism, it is necessary to refer primarily to the role of Thomas Cook as an entrepreneur who introduced radical changes in the specific industry. At a first level, Thomas Cook has highly supported the introduction of changes in the tourism industry (Aramberri and Butler 2005, p.77), a trend that was not welcomed by the other entrepreneurs of the specific industry. Moreover, Thomas Cook promoted creativity, as a key element of strategic decision-making in the tourism industry (Aramberri and Butler 2005, p.77). Another important contribution of Thomas Cook in the tourism industry has been the following one: Thomas Cook has helped to improve the use of resources in the tourism industry. Promoting the combination of resources, Thomas Cook managed to increase the effectiveness of the resources involved in the industry’s projects (Aramberri and Butler 2005, p.77). Firms operating in the tourism industry worldwide have adopted the strategic choices of Thomas Cook in regard to the use of resources, a fact that has led to the increase of the power of the tourism industry in the global market. By developing its power globally, adopting the strategies of Thomas Cook, the tourism industry supported the growth of other sectors, such as the hospitality industry, the food industry and the entertainment industry. In this way, the ideas of Thomas Cook in regard to the promotion of tourism internationally have contributed to the improvement of macroeconomic conditions in the global market. In addition, tourism has become an option for people of all economic backgrounds; in the past, tourism was considered as a privilege of the elites in countries internationally. At this point, it should be noted that the development of technology in the 19th century helped Thomas Cook to realize his ideas on the promotion of mass tourism (Aramberri and Butler 2005, p.77). From a different point of view, Thomas Cook can be considered as responsible for the changes in the nature of tourism, but not for the current level of development of the particular industry. It is explained that Thomas Cook ‘laid the foundations’ (Butler and Russell 2010, p.88) for modern tourism but he was not able of supporting the expansion of the industry. Indeed, the new type of tourism that Thomas Cook introduced, an advanced form of ‘cottage industry’ (Butler and Russell 2010, p.88), would not have been developed without the intervention of his son, John Mason Cook, who established innovative administration and control methods for monitoring the family’s business activities (Butler and Russell 2010, p.88). Because of the intervention of John Mason Cook, the development of the business of Thomas Cook worldwide has been made feasible. Indeed, John Mason Cook has highly emphasized on the prospects of their business in the global market; in opposition, Thomas Cook seemed to emphasize on the effects and the needs of the business in terms of the local market. This trend was further promoted by the management style of Thomas Cook, which was similar to the management methods used in the ‘proto-industrial stage of the tourism industry’ (Butler and Russell 2010, p.89). The contribution of Thomas Cook in modern tourism is made clear in the case of the International Exhibition of 1893 developed in Vienna. The above event, which has been the first of this type, has given to Thomas Cook the chance to apply his ideas regarding the development of mass tourism. Indeed, Thomas Cook arranged a series of package trips to Austria offering the chance to the travelers to visit the above event, a unique experience for the particular period (Baranowski 2001). The event did not result to profits, mostly because of the lack of infrastructure in Vienna, the place where the above event was held. However, the specific event had the following consequences: a) the ideas of Thomas Cook regarding the potential forms of tourism were realized; the participation in the relevant trips has been high, indicating that people welcomed the views of Thomas Cook on tourism, b) the railway systems of Austria and Germany have become key travel systems for the business activities of Thomas Cook (Baranowski 2001) and c) infrastructure in Austria, as also in other countries worldwide, have started to be improved, for example, hotels and restaurants were established, aiming to meet the needs of travelers (Baranowski 2001). At the same time, the level of participation in the travel schemes arranged by Thomas Cook in the context of the specific event revealed that the prospects for tourism industry in Europe, as also internationally, could be significant (Baranowski 2001). In the study of Ryan (2002) reference is made to the following aspect of modern tourism: modern tourism is considered as highly resulted because of the trends of people to imitate (Ryan 2002). It is explained that by 1820, the number of British travelers to Europe was estimated to 150,000 (Ryan 2002, p.95). These were people of high economic status who could afford the cost of the travel; people in lower classes could not have access, at least not easily to travel, due to the cost involved. However, through the introduction of packaging tours, by Thomas Cook, travel became approachable to people of low economic status; the latter started to use travel for entertainment purposes in the context of ‘immitation-segregation, or else, replication’ (Ryan 2002, p.95). The above trend highly helped Thomas Cook in developing mass tourism as a new form of tourism, addressing the needs of people in all social classes. Chakraborty (2007) notes that the role of Thomas Cook in the development of modern tourism has been important but not critical; it is explained that in the 19th century, accommodation in cities started to be improved. At the same time, travel infrastructure was enhanced; ‘regular travel services and guidebooks’ (Chakraborty 2007, p.41). It was the most appropriate time for an agent to appear and participate in the arrangement of travel packages towards the existing destinations. The critical role of the railway network, which was introduced in Britain in 1830, in the development of modern tourism is also highlighted in the study of Jayapalan (2001). From this point of view, the contribution of Thomas Cook in the tourism industry can be identified at the following fact: Thomas Cook entered the industry at a critical point of time, when the commercialization of the industry was expected to begin. The arrangement of packaging tours, by Thomas Cook, using the existing travel infrastructure, which was under development, has been quite important for the industry’s rapid development at the level that no delays existed in the rapid expansion of the industry as an important commercial sector. In accordance with Sayre and King (2009) modern tourism has a series of important social and economic aspects. It is explained that in the context of modern tourism, the rural areas of countries worldwide have been transformed, becoming more approachable to travelers. In fact, rural areas have become popular destinations and for this reason they had to be changed, meaning mostly the improvement of their infrastructure but also of their culture in regard to travelers (Sayre and King 2009). Thomas Cook has achieved the transformation of rural areas to well known destinations through the promotion of packaging tours. Moreover, ‘nationalism and cultural pride’ (Sayre and King 2009, p.477) have been used as incentives for supporting the value of visits in the countryside. On the other hand, Butler (2006) notes that the impact of Thomas Cook on modern tourism indicates the level of influence of entrepreneurs on industrial activities. The involvement of Thomas Cook in the tourism industry led to the industry’s transformation into an activity accessible to the masses. In this context, through Thomas Cook it has been made clear that entrepreneurship style can strongly affect the nature and the characteristics of all industries; Industrial sectors, like tourism, which were not considered as part of entrepreneurial initiatives, have become important sectors of economies worldwide; in the past no such perspective would exist for tourism, which was considered rather as an option available to persons of a specific social class. In other words, before its transformation to an activity related to economic benefits, tourism has been regarded rather as a social privilege. 2.2.2 Which of the contributions of Thomas Cook on the modern tourism industry have the most lasting effect on the industry In accordance with Butcher (2003) the key contribution of Thomas Cook in modern tourism can be identified at the following point: Thomas Cook made the access to tourism feasible for people of different economic backgrounds; the social inequality in regard to the specific activity has been therefore eliminated. Tourism was no more available to rich people but it had become a leisure activity approachable to the high majority of people. From this point of view, the intervention of Thomas Cook in the tourism industry has contributed in the industry’s democratization. From this point of view, Thomas Cook has contributed in the industry’s moralization; ethics in tourism have been changed, being aligned with the new social and economic characteristics of the participants. The exclusive use of tourism by rich people, a phenomenon developed up to the 19th century as explained above, had established moral issues regarding the nature of tourism. The promotion of equality in the participation of leisure travel has helped towards the elimination of discrimination in tourism, increasing the industry’s morality (Butcher 2003). As explained above, Thomas Cook has contributed in the development of tourism, from a social privilege to an economic activity; this means that Thomas Cook has set the basis for the commercialization of the industry, a trend which has been further enforced in the decades that followed (Bhatia 2007). The above role of Thomas Cook in the development of tourism industry can be characterized as quite critical. Indeed, as long as tourism would remain an activity related only to the social and economic status of individuals, no chances would exist for its expansion worldwide. The term expansion in the above case reflects not only the development of the tourism industry in terms of geography but, mainly, to the transformation of its modes and role. Becoming an important business activity, tourism has supported economies internationally, both locally, referring to the economic development of destinations, and globally, referring to the macro – effects of tourism industry, such as the improvement of the status of economies worldwide. The specific contribution of Thomas Cook in the tourism industry can be characterized as lasting, still influencing the economic life in countries internationally. On the other hand, Thomas Cook has helped towards the development of important modes of tourism, meaning those forms of tourism, which have been proved as quite successful as of their profitability for the businesses involved. Reference is made specifically to the establishment of packaging tours, as a key form of modern tourism, can be considered as another lasting contribution of Thomas Cook in modern tourism. At the same time, Thomas Cook first introduced tours in ‘enclave resorts, i.e. areas occupied by people who are culturally different from their neighbours’ (Cole and Morgan, 2010, p.70). The above forms of tourism, as introduced by Thomas Cook, have been highly developed today, being supported by the global economic and technological development, as analyzed above. 3. Conclusion The development of modern tourism should be highly related to the entrepreneurial decisions and initiatives of Thomas Cook. The above entrepreneur identified early the prospects of travel as a means for entertainment; in this context, he used the existing travel network, which was recently introduced in Britain, in order to establish a form of tourism available to the masses. At the same time, Thomas Cook introduced the packaging tours as a mode of tourism addressing a high number of people; the specific scheme is still considered as the most popular form of tourism industry worldwide. Most important, Thomas Cook gave the chance to people of all income to participate in tourism activities, an effort which was highly appreciated by the public both in Britain and around the world. In this way, tourism industry entered a phase of commercialization which changed its nature: instead of being a distinctive privilege of high social classes, tourism became part of the daily life of most people internationally, a result of the initiatives of Thomas Cook in regard to the particular industry. 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