Adam Matthew Provides Untapped Multinational Perspective on the Evolution of Tourism

Award-winning publisher, Adam Matthew, today announced the publication of History of Mass Tourism: a multi-archive collection providing an in-depth insight into the pleasures of nineteenth and twentieth century leisure travel and the growth of tourism for the masses between c.1850-1980s.

Unique primary sources have been digitised from a wealth of international archives allowing scholars and students to trace the expansion, accessibility and affordability of tourism, including the archives of one of the world’s best-known holiday provider, Thomas Cook - made available online for the very first time.

“The history of tourism is the story of the modern world.”

With every continent represented, the resource gives a broad overview of the destinations unlocked for the average traveller. Rich in detail on destinations across Britain, the United States and Europe, important collections on the White Mountains and Yosemite National Park discuss wilderness travel, whilst comprehensive studies of Florida, Coney Island and Blackpool trace the development of crucial seaside resorts. These are complemented by more exotic locations, including Egypt, Japan and Australia.

Highlights from the collection include:

• Promotional films from the 1930s-1960s, encouraging affordable British and European travel.
• Travel journals and scrapbooks from the 1800s to the 1970s, including the famous account of Jemima Morrell - one of the first women to cross the Alps.
• Marketing material showing the extraordinary growth of international package holidays in the 1960s-1980s, and emergence of exotic, previously unreachable destinations.
• The impact of transportation on leisure history, through records of railroad industry greats such as Pullman; cruise lines including Cunard White Star Line; the evolution of flight; accounts of automobile travel and the emergence of the ‘road trip’.
• Early accounts of the ‘American Grand Tour’, describing the birth of American vacations
• Visual galleries, an interactive world map and exhibitions on Coney Island and Blackpool.

From the emergence of travel agencies in the nineteenth century to the golden age of package holidays in the 1970s, this resource offers a wealth of essential material for any student or scholar of social, cultural and business history.

History of Mass Tourism is available for free 30-day trial now. Register for the webinar on June 22nd here.