Cook's tour

Posted by James Briggs April 01, 2003In reply to Cook's tour posted by Bruce Kahl on April 01, 2003

Does anyone know the meaning of a "Cook's tour" please ?

One entry found for Cook's tour.

Main Entry: Cook's tour

Function: noun
Etymology: Thomas Cook & Son, English travel agency
Date: circa 1909
a rapid or cursory survey or review

There's more substance than that. Thomas Cook set up one of the first, if not the first, Travel Agencies in the world. Firstly it was just for trips within Britain, but it then spead to Europe and further afield. To do such trips was adventurous but all was organised for the traveller - far from just a cursory visit to places. Such romantic visits became to be called Cook's Tours. Later the term took an its current, somewhat demeaning character whereby any trip which seems to be longer than the traveller really wants - such a bus trip to the local town but which stops at many unwanted places for a particular traveller - is often called a 'Cook's Tour'.