On the eve of World Tourism Day, which has been celebrated for 33 years in most countries of the world, we have prepared a selection of interesting facts from the world of tourism and travel, which will once again remind you of the fascinating countries around us and further fuel interest in travel.
On the eve of World Tourism Day, which has been celebrated for 33 years in most countries of the world, we have prepared a selection of interesting facts from the world of tourism and travel, which will once again remind you of the fascinating countries around us and will further stir up interest in travel.
1. Who opened the world's first travel agency?
On July 5, 1841, that is, exactly 171 years ago, British entrepreneur Thomas Cook, at that time an active fighter against the widespread drunkenness in England at that time, organized the world's first group tourist trip. At his insistence, the Midland Counties Railway provided a special train to take 570 workers on a scenic route between Leicester and Loughborough in Leicestershire, Midland. 570 “friends of temperance” were loaded into nine open carriages. In the future for advertising purposes railways began to provide Cook with discounts that made it possible to organize recreational trips for people with the most limited financial resources. Therefore, there were not hundreds, but thousands of clients. His excursions and travels were based on a very effective principle: "Getting the maximum benefit for the maximum number of people at the minimum cost." This was the beginning of world group tourism.
Soon trips became regular, and in the 1850s routes to many European cities appeared. In 1865, Cook discovered the New World for his compatriots, and for Americans the homeland of their ancestors. The activities were carried out through the agency "Thomas Cook and Son" - the first company specializing in organizing tourist trips. By the way, one of the first American clients of the company was Mark Twain. Cook was recognized as the “inventor of tourism”, and the travel agency he founded gained worldwide fame. Five decades later, Thomas Cook & Son owned 84 branches, 85 agencies, and more than 3 million people used its services.
2. Which city has the longest name in the world?
Everyone knows that main city Thailand is called Bangkok. But in fact, this short and sonorous word was invented so that people would not break their tongues about its real name, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest name settlement.
The real name of Bangkok is Krung Thep, which means “City of Angels”. But this is only part of its full name - it includes 30 words and sounds more than majestic: “City of Angels, great city, the residence of the emerald Buddha, an impregnable city, the great capital of the world, endowed with nine ancient stones, replete with huge royal palaces resembling a heavenly abode, from which the personification of God rules, the city presented by Indra, built by Wissanukam.” In the original language and in a somewhat abbreviated form, it is as follows: Krung Tep Maha Nakorn Amon Rattanakosin Mahanindra Ayutthaya Mahadilok Pop Noprarat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratniwet Amonpiman Avatansatip Sapkakatiya Visanukkampasit.
3. Who is the first space tourist in history?
On April 28, 2001, former NASA employee and billionaire Denis Tito became the first space tourist in history. Tito paid $20 million for an eight-day "vacation" on the International Space Station. However, the businessman had to overcome many obstacles before he could realize his lifelong dream. NASA considered Tito insufficiently trained, and he had to turn to Russian cosmonauts. But here, too, Tito suffered a setback, since his original destination - the Mir space station - was removed from orbit and sunk in the World Ocean. And only then was the businessman able to get a seat on the Soyuz TM-32 ship, which delivered cargo to the ISS (International Space Station), and, at the insistence of the American side, he had to take full responsibility for his actions.
Currently, the ISS is the only used destination for space tourism. Flights are carried out using Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Training for space tourists is carried out in Star City near Moscow, as well as in small planes simulating weightlessness. The last flight of a space tourist took place in 2009, and a total of seven tourists visited the ISS. One of them is a woman - Anousheh Ansari.
4. How long is the longest trolleybus route in the world, and where does it pass?
The length of the longest trolleybus route in the world is 86 kilometers, and it runs in Crimea between Simferopol and Yalta. Route number - 52. Trolleybuses run among the Crimean Mountains from Simferopol to Yalta. This route is considered intercity. It connects not only Simferopol and Yalta. On his way there is Alushta - resort town on the shores of the Black Sea. The trolleybus route is operated by the Ukrainian enterprise Krymtrolleybus. To the question: “Why did they decide to build a trolleybus line in the mountainous areas, and not just run buses?” - Crimean trolleybus employee Georgy Slavny replied: “To preserve the environment. Trolleybus is an environmentally friendly transport.”
5. What do the residents of the tallest city in the world do?
Tallest city world - La Rinconada in Peru - located at an altitude of 5099 meters above sea level. 30,000 people live here, most of whom are engaged in gold mining. Many miners work for free for a month, and on the last day they are allowed to take as much ore as they can carry on their shoulders. At the same time, it is unknown whether there will be gold in the ore or not. However, La Rinconada is not yet the highest permanent settlement on earth. There are two Indian villages, which are located at altitudes of 5170 and 5219 meters.
6. What is the most visited grave in Israel, and who is buried in it?
In one of the cemeteries in the Israeli town of Ramla there is the grave of Harry Potter. He was a private in the 1st Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment of the British Army, who died on July 22, 1939 in Hebron in a clash with the rebels. Recently, this grave has become the most visited in Israel and was included in the list of local attractions. Every Saturday, several buses with tourists stop near the city cemetery. In the company of a guide, they wander through the cemetery until they come to a gravestone in memory of Harry Potter. Unknown Harry Potter came from Birmingham and died at 19 in an ambush during the British Mandate of Palestine.
7. How long is the largest swimming pool in the world?
The largest artificial swimming pool in the world is located in the Chilean resort of San Alfonso del Mar. Its length is one kilometer, and the depth at its deepest point is 35 meters. And it is located just 200 meters from Pacific Ocean- exactly ocean water pumps pump into this pool, pre-filtering. Also, a constant water temperature is maintained here - +26 °C, while in the ocean the water is quite cool.
8. Where is the most “leaning” tower in the world located?
No, not in Pisa. Leaning Tower of Pisa, which before restoration work at the end of the 20th century deviated from the vertical by 5.5°, and after them by 4°, is not at all the most “leaning” tower in the world. Today the record with an indicator of 12° belongs to a 10-meter tower in the Chinese county of Suizhong.
9. In which country do they speak 820 different languages?
In a Pacific State Papua New Guinea With an area comparable to Sweden, 820 different languages are spoken, accounting for 20% of the total number of languages in the world. And in terms of the density of languages, Papua is second only to another Pacific state - Vanuatu (located in Melanesia), where on an area of just over 12,000 square meters. km, 113 languages are spoken.
10. Where is the largest church in the world?
Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Paix, or basilica Holy Virgin Mary of Peace - the Catholic Church in the capital of Côte d'Ivoire, Yamoussoukro, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest church in the world. It was built in the likeness of Rome's St. Peter's Basilica from 1985 to 1989. At the same time, there are more Muslims in Ivory Coast than Christians.
1. Scientists have found that people who go without vacation for a long time have a shorter life expectancy than chronic alcoholics. The name of this disease is "No Vacation Syndrome".
2. Complete relaxation lowers IQ, so you can’t do without excursions and books on vacation.
3. 40 % people are afraid to fly by plane, although this type of transport is recognized as the safest.
4. According to statistics, 20 % all holiday romances last one night, 50 % - more than a week and only 4 % lead to strong alliances.
5. Since tourists love to take pieces of ancient structures with them “as souvenirs,” the Athenian authorities, concerned about the fate of the Parthenon, hired workers who scatter specially brought pieces of marble around the temple at night.
6. The most famous leave application in history was written by General Crillon. He sent his king a short letter: “Sir, three words: money or vacation.” To which the king replied: "Crillon, four words: neither one nor the other".
7. Psychophysiologists have calculated that for proper rest a person needs 28 days. At the same time, such a long break is a big stress for the body: the longer you rest, the more difficult it is to get into a working rhythm.
8.By 40% the risk of cardiovascular diseases decreases for those who go on vacation at least once a year.
9. According to statistics, 33 % people, when going to a summer resort, forget to put swimwear in their suitcase.
10. In Australia there is a tradition according to which, in addition to annual holidays, every 15 years expatriate workers from England receive additional leave (90 days) to visit the historical homeland.
11. Nowadays, most workers divide their vacation into two parts. However, scientists believe that proper rest should last at least three weeks.
12. Finnish employees have the longest vacation in the world - 39 days. Next come: Sweden and Denmark - 30-35 days; France and Norway - 25 days.
13. Dmitry Mendeleev discovered the table of chemical elements on the first day of his vacation.
14. Out of 1,500 workers surveyed 86 % admitted that it is very problematic for them not to think about work in the first days of rest. 50 % They cannot forget about their work responsibilities and affairs until at least half of the vacation has passed. The study showed that 62 % people are faced with the stress associated with the inevitable desire to “pack” a vacation day with vigorous activity to the fullest.
15. It is important to consider that if you are traveling to hot countries in winter, your body will need approximately 3-4 days for acclimatization.
16. In Italy, 60-year-old Athos Bagatin was convicted for 900 days paid leave. The union sued him because Bagatin had not taken a vacation for 28 years. As a result, the court decided to punish the workaholic with rest.
17. In Sweden, one doctor worked overtime for 24 years and worked 10 thousand hours. Now the workaholic is about to take six years of fully paid leave. Instead, he could receive a cash reward, which amounts to approx. 1 million euros.
18. The shark ranks last among the potential threats to vacationers near the water. Annually 15 times less More people die from sharks than from coconuts falling on their heads.
19. The Norwegian Medical Commission examined the working hours of the country’s citizens and recommended that company managers increase leave for non-smoking employees for 3 days, because, according to statistics, smokers spend about three days a year on smoking breaks.
We all love to travel, but not all of us find the time or finances for it. But the facts below will help you change your mind about your vacation and find time to travel regularly.
- The pilot and assistant pilot must eat different foods. It sounds quite strange, but on the other hand, if you know the reason, then everything is clear. There are only 2 pilots on the plane, and if one of them becomes ill after eating, the second one must replace him. In short, so as not to get food poisoning at the same time.
- Theoretically, the chances of getting into a plane crash are very small. On average, for every American, the risk of suffering a plane crash is only 1 in 11 million. Whereas for car owners this chance is 1 in 5 million.
- Everest (Chomolungma) is still growing. Yes, yes, the mountain continues to grow. Now its height is about 8850 meters. But every year it grows by another 4 mm, approximately. This is due to the movement of tectonic platforms.
- Mexico City (the capital of Mexico) is sinking at 10 cm per year. Due to the fact that the city is based on “fragile” land surrounded by waters. And construction regularly puts pressure on the city's land. By the way, Mexico City is sinking 10 times faster than Venice.
- Every year, airlines earn more than 640 billion dollars. By the way, there are only 600 companies in the United States, and they bring profit to their owners in the amount of 175 billion dollars. It turns out that ¼ of all global profits.
- The same food tastes different on the plane and on the ground. When the plane gains altitude, the taste buds change by about a third. This is why many passengers order bloody marys; Tomato juice then seems not so sour. Because of this, many airlines add salt and various spices to their menus.
- American Airlines once cut its costs by $40,000 by removing just one olive from its salad. In 1980, Robert Crandall, later the head of the company, removed one olive, which ultimately saved such a large amount.
- In 2003, a Boeing 727 disappeared and has not been found since. On May 25, 2003, the plane disappeared forever in flight. And to this day no one knows what happened to him. The pilot's sister says the plane crashed somewhere in Africa, in the heights.
- In the United States, one in eight jobs is related to travel and tourism. This is not difficult to imagine, given the fact that there are as many as 600 airlines located there.
- When you take a vacation, it reduces your risk of heart attack. According to studies, people on vacation have fewer heart attacks than those who are not on vacation.
- The white streak that a plane leaves behind in the sky can be used to predict the weather. By the thickness of this line you can determine whether the air humidity is high or low. A very thick line could mean a storm is approaching.
- There are special trophies that are given to pilots for very funny mistakes. There is a special museum in the USA that gave out awards to really funny pilots. So the nominees were: the pilot who hit the parked plane; a pilot who took off without checking the tank, and it was almost empty.
- Money spent on travel makes people happier than money spent on material goods. It is because of this that heart attacks happen to those who travel less often.
- After the first day of travel, people's stress drops by 89%. While traveling, you forget about all your problems and your stress level decreases significantly.
- Travel is used in the treatment of depression. Psychologists use this method of treatment with patients suffering from depression.
- Couples who travel together report increased intimacy. Traveling brings people together and revives feelings for each other.
- Mercury on a plane is not good. Most aircraft are made using aluminum and it will be in your best interest not to spill mercury on board.
- You won't be able to open the door of a plane while it's in the air. Even if you manage to do this, you don't have to worry about everyone falling through the door (as we often see in movies). When the plane is at the top, the doors are made in such a way that air presses against them, and they are absolutely safe. Even several very strong people will not be able to open the door of an airplane.
- The United States is the only country in the world where there is no person entitled to paid vacation or holiday.
- Austrians are the most socially protected country in terms of recreation. The country guarantees every worker at least 22 paid vacation days and 13 paid holiday days every year.
- When you travel, you become more creative. According to research, people who travel regularly can find more creative approaches to solving a given problem.
- Those who travel become smarter. Everything is simple here, as with books, the more you read, the more you learn. Visual memory works the same way and you will learn a lot of new things during your holidays.
- The most popular country for tourists is France. It is not difficult to understand that the most popular place this country is Paris.
- The most popular city in the world among tourists is Bangkok. This data is according to 2013.
- A commercial airplane averages 550-580 mph. During takeoff, the speed reaches 160-180 mph. And during landing - 150-160 mph.
- The busiest airport in the world is international Airport Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, USA. 95.5 million passengers and 930 thousand flights are carried out at this airport every year. Is it true new airport Dubai will accommodate up to 160 million passengers, but it is not yet in great demand.
- The only place in the United States where there is a royal palace is the capital of Hawaii - Honolulu. Very a nice place in the Pacific Ocean.
- Russia produces the largest amount of oxygen.
- France has the largest number of time zones. Already 12.
- Canada has the most a large number of lakes There are about 3 million lakes in this country. But this is not very strange, because most of the country is not densely populated.
- Mongolia is the worst populous country in the world. Only 4 people per square kilometer.
- Niger has the youngest nation. This African country has the youngest population in the world by average.
- The most densely populated country in the world is India. At the moment there are already more than one and a half billion people.
- The Principality of Monaco is smaller than New York's Central Park.
- The most multilingual country is Papua New Guinea.
- The most intelligent country is Canada. Here, more than 50% of the population has higher education.
- There are currently 61,000 people above the US skies. This is the average number of passengers on any day, at any time.
The definition of tourism includes the concept of leaving one's local area in search of new experiences. We get out of personal comfort in order to find pleasure and the same comfort somewhere there. Tourists and travelers are truly amazing people.
Denis Tito can be considered such an amazing tourist, dreamed for many years or at least made a trip there. At first he was rejected by NASA, considering him not physically fit enough. Then he had to overcome obstacles in Russia, where the Mir station, the intended destination, failed due to its operating life. Only in 2001, Tito was able to make a tourist visit to space on the Soyuz TM-32 spacecraft, a device that delivers cargo to the ISS. Denis had to pay 20 million dollars to make his dream come true. But what is this amount compared to the sensations and emotions received!
Sex tourism, as it turns out, arose a very long time ago. It became a kind of manifestation of female feminism at the beginning of the 19th century. Women, individually or in groups, traveled to “abroads” in order to indulge in pleasures with foreigners.
First economy tour was organized by the English enthusiast T. Cook in 1841. He offered poor people a ride on the train, paying one shilling for the trip. Passengers were served buns and drinks and musicians played.
This information will be of interest to lovers of gold jewelry. There are machines that sell gold in Abu Dhabi. This is the only place where such a service is offered.
Favorite place for many travelers– Thailand became a destination for mass tourist visits after the Vietnam War. During the ongoing hostilities, US Army soldiers came there to rest.
Japan lures tourists with various exotic offers. One of them is to create giant paintings of their rice sprouts. These works of art can be seen while flying over the fields in a helicopter or hot air balloon.
Who doesn't want to bring a souvenir with them? after the visit architectural monument antiquity. This is especially true for tourist countries such as Greece or Italy. In order to preserve the buildings and not “offend” tourists, workers at the Parthenon Museum are asked to scatter pieces of marble at night.
For those who love an extravagant holiday, A visit to the Chernobyl zone is offered. EE was recognized as “super extravagant” tourist place, where you can see something that is not found anywhere else on Earth.”
An ardent fan of tourism was the super-Nazi A. He believed that active travel toughens people and shapes real fighters. Who might be scared by the recent unrest in Greece? Except tourists from Europe and America. But this is not the case for the Russians.
For guests of Israel there is another attraction, in addition to historical artifacts and natural beauty. This is Harry Potter's grave. But it contains not a famous character, but an ordinary soldier of the British army who died on Israeli soil in 1939.
Tensions between countries in the Middle East is affecting the tourism business. So, for example, a person whose passport contains an Israeli visa will not be able to visit neighboring Muslim countries, even if he has visas open for them.
The largest hotels have been built in America. There are two dozen of them in total. Of these largest hotel complexes seventeen are located in Las Vegas.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a movement appeared among rich youth- “wandering students.” It was a protest against the bourgeois environment in which they grew up. Young people set off on a journey to places with harsh climates and difficult conditions for survival. This is how they tried to express themselves and feel the essence of real life.
One of the most unusual items forgotten by visiting people in hotels there was an urn with ashes. She was forgotten by the man who brought the remains of his wife to scatter them in a memorial place for them. Fearing that he wouldn’t make it to his destination in time during rush hour, he left the trash can on the windowsill in a hurry. He returned for her an hour later.
Wedding bustle makes you forget not only flowers or rings, but also your own children. One young couple forgot their eight-month-old baby in hotel room, thinking that his loved ones had already taken him. Seeing the absence of the baby, they immediately returned.
Many people cannot imagine life without travel. It’s so interesting to visit new countries and cities, learn the culture and traditions of other peoples, and just change the scenery and take your mind off everyday problems! Traveling gives us the opportunity to expand our horizons and experience unforgettable emotions.
But it was not always so. Mass tourism appeared only in 1841; before that, only very wealthy people could afford to travel. Now almost everyone can go on a trip; there are a huge number of services that allow you to save on tickets and hotels. Even the opportunity to go to a neighboring city is already a journey.
Like any other industry, tourism has developed and continues to develop. Tourism has a long history and many interesting facts. I will write about some of them below.
Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook can easily be called the founder of tourism. And there are several reasons for this:
- On July 5, 1841, Thomas Cook organized the first trip for 570 workers, and Cook himself earned absolutely nothing on this trip. He received his first income only in 1845, by organizing an excursion to the city of Liverpool. Thomas organized trips mainly around Great Britain, and only in 1855 the first trip abroad was organized, to the city of Paris;
- The first circumnavigation of the world was also organized by Thomas Cook. The journey lasted 222 days;
- Thomas Cook was the founder of the first tour operator, which continues to operate successfully to this day;
- The first tourism magazine, The Excursionist, was published under the direction and editorship of Thomas Cook.
Comfortable tourism
You won’t believe who was the first to decide to create the most comfortable conditions for relaxation. This is... Adolf Hitler, who believed that in order to increase stress resistance and performance, a person needs to rest in comfortable conditions.
The most expensive tourist trip in the world
The most expensive tour was bought by Denis Tito, a businessman from America, in 2001. The cost of the tour was $20 million. It was a tour into space, to the International Space Station.
City with the longest name in the world
Krung Thep Maha Nakorn Amon Rattanakosin Mahanindra Ayutthaya Mahadilok Pop Noprarat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratniwet Amonpiman Avatansatip Sapkakatiya Visanukkampasit (and this is a slightly shortened version), which translated means City of Angels, great city, residence of the emerald Buddha, impregnable city, great capital of the world, endowed with nine ancient stones, replete with huge royal palaces, reminiscent of a heavenly abode, from which the personification of God rules, a city presented by Indra, built by Wissanukam. The name of this city is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest name of a settlement in the world. And so that tourists, and indeed all people in general, do not suffer when pronouncing the long name of the city, it was shortened. This is the well-known city of Bangkok.
How Thailand became a popular holiday destination
Thailand began to gain popularity after the Vietnam War. The country was the home front and resting place for American soldiers. The soldiers really liked the nature of Thailand, and low prices holidays at the resort have become popular.
The largest swimming pool in the world
The largest pool is located, no, not V UAE, as many people think, but V San Alfonso del Mar is a resort in Chile. Pool depth 35 meters, and the length is 1 kilometer, in pool sea water.
The most "leaning tower"
And this is not Pisa, whose inclination angle is 4 degrees. And the tower, whose inclination is 12 degrees, is located in Suizhong County.
The most dangerous excursion
The most interesting and at the same time the most dangerous excursion in the world, according to many travel publications, including Forbes magazine, is an excursion to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant zone.
In Mexico, at the Eco Alberto holiday park, you can book a night excursion where you can feel like a Mexican migrant trying to cross the border into America. A night full of adventure awaits you: you will have to run a lot, crawl and hide, and overcome various obstacles.
Buy a whole state
For just $80,000 (price indicated at the beginning of 2017) you can buy the entire state of Liechtenstein. You will receive the keys to the state and will be able to have a dinner party in the palace. The whole state will be yours, but only for 24 hours.
"For memory"
We all bring from our travels various souvenirs, magnets, local delicacies, seashells or stones that are part of ancient structures. For example, in Athens the authorities are very concerned about the fate of the Parthenon. The authorities are afraid that the architectural monument will be taken away piece by piece, and have decided to hire special workers who scatter marble stones around the temple at night.
Forgotten things
Tourists often forget various things in hotels, most often clothes. In the English city of Peterborough, a maid discovered an urn containing ashes. The most unusual forgotten things also include: a whole suitcase full of Marvel comics, a huge stuffed parrot, an Olympic torch.
Australia and Austria
Quite often, tourists confuse the names of these two countries, and this is not surprising, because they are very similar. There are even road signs in Austria that say “No Kangaroos Here.” They also sell a lot of souvenirs with the same logo.
Traveling Dwarves
In the 80s appeared in the West interesting tradition. Travelers “borrowed” garden gnomes, and in their place they left a note “I want to see the world.” They took the gnomes on a trip, took a photo of the gnome against the backdrop of landmarks, and then returned it with an attached photo from the place where they were.
Kingdom of Bhutan
Despite the fact that many countries are fighting among themselves for every tourist attracted, there is a country that is against the development of mass tourism in its country. Until 1974, it was possible to enter this country only with an invitation from the royal family, that is, not at all.
Today you can visit Bhutan, but for no more than 15 days and subject to paying a daily tax, which, by the way, is quite large. You can purchase a tour to the kingdom from only a few tour operators that have a special license. In this way, rulers protect their culture and nature.
