Betty: I love your new home.
Agnes: Thank you. Let me give you a cook’s tour.
Have you ever had a conversation like this? How did the phrase cook’s tour begin? Actually, the phrase cook’s tour began with Thomas Cook, an Englishman who lived in the 19th Century.
Thomas Cook had limited formal education. At the age of 10, he began working as a gardener. When he was 14 he began an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker. At the age of 18, he became a Baptist missionary and evangelist while still making cabinets for his livelihood. He was a strong opponent of alcohol use and became a member of the Temperance Society. This led him in an unexpected career direction.
He began to arrange for those opposed to alcohol to take train trips to temperance rallies. He did all of the travel organizing. His largest excursion was for 150,000 people to travel to London for the Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. He also put together a tour guide for travelers.
Based on his success in England, Thomas decided to arrange tours of Europe, complete with travel, lodging, and food accommodations. As his travel business grew, he expanded it to include a store where he sold travel accessories.
Thomas ventured beyond Europe to include tours of the Holy Lands and America. Later he would do an around-the-world tour. His influence on tourism went beyond tours. He also developed an early version of traveler’s checks. The company was started by Thomas Cook and was established until 2019.
We often don’t think of beginnings being associated with something as basic as tourism. In Thomas Cook’s case, a mission against alcohol established a business that last for over 130 years. Beginnings often are created from moments of opportunity for those who have the vision.
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“One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” –Henry Miller (Author)