Pages from the history of tourism

ACTIVE VOCABULARY

 

 

to adopt	принимать
adventurer	искатель приключений
age	период, век, эпоха
to appear	появляться
to assist	содействовать
available	доступный, имеющийся в наличии
capital	cтолица
caravansaray	караван-сарай
common	простой
to cooperate	сотрудничать
crucially	решающим образом, кардинально
desert	пустыня
distance	расстояние
domestic	внутренний
to elect	выбирать, избирать
to emerge	возникать
enterprise	предприятие
to expand	расширять, расширяться
explorer	исследовать
General Assembly	Генеральная Ассамблея
General Secretary	Генеральный секретарь
to get familiar (with)	знакомиться
government	правительство, правительственный
health resort	оздоровительный курорт
initials	начальные буквы, инициалы, аббревиатура
inland waterways	внутренние водные пути
inn	постоялый двор, недорогая загородная гостиница
intergovernmental	межправительственный
joint-stock company	акционерное общество
journey	путешествие
jet, jet plane	реактивный самолёт
meals	питание
merchant	купец
mix-up	путаница
noble	знатный, титулованный
nomad	кочевник
outset	начало, зарождение
overseas trip	зарубежная поездка
to own	владеть, иметь в собственности
paid holidays	оплачиваемый отпуск
pilgrim	паломник
purpose	цель
races	скачки, бега
raft	плот
recreation	отдых
reputable	признанный
society	общество
spa	курорт на минеральных водах
steamship	пароход
to stick to (stuck, stuck)	придерживаться чего-либо
supreme body	высший орган
to take place	иметь место, происходить
tavern	таверна
to tour, to take a tour	совершать путешествие
trader	торговец
treatment	лечение
the United Nations	Организация Объединённых Наций (ООН)
well-off	состоятельный, зажиточный
well-to-do	обеспеченный, состоятельный
the World Tourism Organization (UN WTO)	Всемирная Туристская Организация (ЮНВТО)

 

Read the texts and answer the questions:

HOW IT ALL STARTED

People started travelling long ago. The first travellers were no­mads and pilgrims, merchants and traders. They travelled along riv­ers, lakes and seas. The first travellers used simple means of travel­ling: boats and ferries on the water and camels in the desert.

The most famous travellers were explorers. Among them were Marco Polo from Venice in the 13th century, Afanasy Nikitin from Russia, Christopher Columbus and Vasco de Gama from Portugal in the 15th century, Magellan from Spain, Amerigo Vespucci from Italy in the 16th century, James Cook from England in the 18th cen­tury and other adventurers from Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Eng­land and Holland. They made journeys to Asia, Africa and America.

Travel grew and developed as long as means of transport kept on growing.

With the 19th century the age of modern trains came. In the late 19th century the first motor-cars appeared.

The age of airplanes changed travel crucially. In the early 20th century jet planes emerged. They made air travel available to all people. Air travel is the fastest and the most convenient mode of travelling. No place in the world is more than 24 hours away by jet. Passengers eat, sleep, watch movies, listen to music on airplanes.

Comprehension questions

1. When did people start travelling?

2. Who were the first travellers?

3. What means of travelling did they use?

4. Who were the most famous travellers?

5. What kind of journeys did they make?

6. Why did travel grow and develop?

7. What were the new means of travelling in the 19th century?

8. What kind of transportation emerged in the early 20th century?

9. What are the advantages of air travel?

TOURISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY

 

In the 19th century tourism was mainly for the rich. They had enough money and spare time for travelling.

Not many working people in Europe had paid holidays.

Well-to-do people used to take tours to France, Germany, Swit­zerland and Austria. They spent time at famous sea resorts in France. They went to health resorts and spas of Germany for recreation and treatment. They travelled to the resorts in the mountains of Switzer­land and Austria.

In the early 19th century tourists used to travel by trains and steamships.

In the first half of the 19th century steamships used to move within inlsmd waterways only. But in the second half of the century they started covering longer distances. The steamships carried pas­sengers on all oceans and seas of the world.

Comprehension questions

1. What was tourism in the 19th century like?

2. What kind of tours did well-to-do people use to take?

3. Where did they go to in those countries?

4. How did they use to travel?

5. Where did steamships move in the first half of the 19th cen­tury?

6. Where did they move in the second half of the 19th century?

THOMAS COOK COMPANY

Thomas Cook Company is the oldest travel company in the world. As-a matter of fact, Thomas Cook from England opened the age of organized tourism.

It started in 1841 when Thomas Cook arranged the first trip for 570 Englishmen by railway. In 1843 Thomas Cook organized the first group tour by train. This time he provided tourists with meals and tickets for the races. So it was the first package tour.

Later on Thomas Cook made arrangements for organized visits to the First International Industrial Exhibition. The Exhibition opened in London in 1851. The tourists came from different parts of Eng­land.

All those were domestic tours. However, Thomas Cook decided not to stick to domestic tourism within his country only. Four years later, in 1855 he arranged the first overseas trip. It was a tour to the Exhibition in Paris. After that regular tourist trips started to other countries of Europe.

Thomas Cook continued expanding his travel business. In 1866 he arranged the first trip of two groups of Englishmen to the USA. Thomas Cook set up the first travel agency.

By the end of the 19th century the company had its offices all over the world including Australia and New Zealand, selling millions of tickets and excursions.

In the 20th century the company changed its owners many times.

The present-day name of the company is Thomas Cook Group PLC. It is still very active on the travel market. It is both a tour operator and a travel agency. In 2007 it became the second largest travel company in Europe, after TUI.

Comprehension questions

1. What is Thomas Cook Company?

2. When did Thomas Cook arrange the first trip? What kind of trip was it?

3. What was the first package tour like?

4. What kind of arrangements did Thomas Cook make in 1851?

5. What was the first overseas trip by Thomas Cook?

6. What kind of travel business is Thomas Cook Company?

7. How large is Thomas Cook Company now?