Despite never having joined a package tour in my entire life, I felt a pang of regret when the colossus of Thomas Cook, Britain¡¯s oldest travel company and creator of said package tour, ceased trading last September. Founded in 1841, Cook¡¯s early tours did not come cheap. For a suitable fee, the moneyed class could enjoy grand circuits of Europe, high tea on the sand dunes of Tunisia, or elephant tours of Jaipur with a full retinue of porters.
The company demonstrated commercial savvy in recognizing the preferences of wealthy passengers for comfort, luxury and safety; a desire for a foreign experience ¡ª but not too foreign. Its River Nile packages aboard a flotilla of steam ships, for example, replete with carpeted decks, private bathrooms, string quartets, multi-course meals and fine wines, were legendary.
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