Travel is something everyone wishes to do, whether it is chasing the sun, sampling new cultures, seeking history of the world or seeing if the grass is greener we all dream of going someone new.

Because of everyone’s wish to go to new pastures travel is a big business turning over billions and billions financially, with millions and millions of people travelling to different countries every year.

With the travel business being so huge when did it all start as a business model?

Well travel has been something us humans have done since the first day we were on the planet, if you think about it there is evidence that everyone in the world originate from East Africa 200,000 years ago.

When it comes to travel tours as a business model the age of travel becomes a lot younger with the first paid excursions being arranged by Thomas Cook in 1841. This first excursion was from Leicester, England to Loughborough, England which was only an eleven mile (16.5 kilometre) journey. This new and innovative business took off and by 1850 Thomas Cook was taking groups of people from Leicester to Calais in France.

By the mid 1860’s Thomas Cook joined up with a partner and started a travel agency in London’s Fleet Street called Thomas Cook, a company that is still thriving in the travel business world today.

It was during the 1860’s that Thomas Cook the travel agency started trips from England to places as far afield as the United States, Japan, China and India.

In the mid 1870’s Thomas Cook also introduced an important financial companion for travelers called “Circular notes” something that was a big hit and is again still used today under the name of a traveler’s cheque.

Since the birth of travel back in 1841 the travel business has grown dramatically, this has been partly because of the advances in technology meaning we are only a few hours by plane from anywhere in the world.  One man in Leicester had an inspiration back in 1841 and today we all enjoy the fruits of his labour by travelling to new and interesting destinations every year.

The birth of travel as a business has brought the whole world close together and given us more knowledge and a wider understanding of different cultures so let’s thank Thomas Cook and the birth of travel.