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 — 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.
