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operator or other supplier, usually incorporating
at least three elements, transportation, accommodation
and transfers, although some packages
may include additional services such as excursions.
Historically, organised tours can be traced to at
least 1500 bc, and were common at the time of the
Greek and Roman Empires, especially to Egypt. In
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the
Grand Tour was an essential element in the
education of the aristocracy and later the rich
merchant classes in the United Kingdom and
Germany, entailing long cultural tours to France
and Italy, sometimes for as long as three years.
Thomas Cook is usually credited with devising
the first modern package tour taking a group by
charter train between Leicester and Loughborough
in 1841. Today's mass tourism market developed
in Britain shortly after the end of the Second
World War, based on the use of charter aircraft. By
buying facilities �aircraft seats and hotel rooms) in
bulk, tour operators gained from economies of
scale and were able to offer low prices, the
convenience of all elements booked simultaneously
under one roof, and a guarantee of consistent
quality. After inclusive tour prices were legally
permitted to undercut scheduled air fares at the
end of the 1950s, the Northern European market
for sun, sea and sand package tours to the
Mediterranean countries expanded rapidly; the
flow of British tourists was soon joined by the
Germans, Dutch, Scandinavians and others seeking
guaranteed sunshine at low prices. In North
America, the market similarly grew for package
tours to Florida and Caribbean destinations
�mainly for winter sun), and to Europe for cultural
tours.
In the 1990s, the demand for package tours
widened to incorporate activity and cultural
programmes. Mass market tours are now to global
destinations, with Europeans increasingly visiting
North America, the Far East and Australia. Tour
organisers offer packages for independent or group
travel, using either charter or scheduled airlines, as
well as coach tours, rail tours and self-drive
programmes. A feature since the mid-1990s has
been the growth of the all-inclusive package,
providing on-site entertainment and unlimited
food and drink at the resort complex.
Further reading
Holloway, J.C. �1998) The Business of Tourism,
London: Pitman. �Describes the organisation
and institutionalisation of tourism, including the
modern package tour.)
Laws, E. �1997) Managing Packaged Tourism:Relationships,
Responsibilities and Service Quality in the Inclusive
Holiday Industry, London: International Thomson
Business Press. �Explains the business relationships
involved in the organisation of tours to
ensure customer satisfaction.)
Yale, P. �1995) The Business of Tour Operators, Harlow:
Longman. �Offers a detailed explanation of the
procedures involved in setting up and running
tours.)
tour guide
tour guide 583
J. CHRISTOPHER HOLLOWAY, UK
A number of terms are in use to describe those
whose responsibility it is to shepherd and inform
groups of tourists. Courier is most commonly
applied to describe the role, although other terms
used include tour leader, tour captain, tour escort,
tour manager and tour guide. The latter term is
more correctly used to describe one whose
principal task is seen as imparting information.
Consequently, tour guides are more likely to be
highly educated and formally trained, although few
countries actually require them to possess a licence
to practice. In the United Kingdom, Registered or
Blue Badge guides are those who have passed
examinations organised under the aegis of the
official tourism boards. Most are members of the
Guild of Guide Lecturers, whose role is to promote
the professional status of the guide and to safeguard
their interests in the tourism industry. Their
services are usually offered on a freelance basis,
and tour organisers are under no legal obligation to
employ only licensed guides. However, at many key
heritage sites such as noted cathedrals, it is the
practice of institutions to restrict guiding to those
employed specifically for this role, partly to ensure
accurate and satisfactory information is professionally
imparted, and partly as an aid in restricting the
number of tourists admitted to very popular and
frequently congested sites.