Bon Voyage: An Oblique Glance at the World of Tourism

A look at the history, tradition and future of tourism. Why do we travel? Where do we go? How do we get there – and how will we get there in the future? These are just some of the questions asked and answered in this exploration of man’s wish to see the world beyond his front door. In illustrated chapters that cover such topics as modes of transport, luggage, destinations, accommodation and travel fashion, this book looks at past trends and current practices, stereotypes and oddities, kitsch and class. From the Greyhound coach to the Queen Mary; youth hostels to Hilton Hotels; camera-laden Japanese tourists to housewives in hula skirts; Great Pyramids to the Eiffel Tower, history’s travel fads are examined. Vintage photographs and classic postcards accompany the text while numerous sidebars offer titbits about everything from passport stamps to the basics of camping. This volume also draws attention to the changing way we live today, and how our stressful, modern lives demand ever more from our ‘relaxing’ two weeks in the sun.