What Does the Phrase “Cook’s Tour” Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?

When Thomas Cook founded the world’s first travel agency in 1841 he organized a railway trip for a group of non-drinkers into the British midlands.

Soon the safety and security of travelling in groups encouraged the less adventurous to see the world.

The more seasoned travelers, enamored of their ideas of individual adventure, scoffed at these disciplined tours and referred to them sarcastically as “Cook’s tours.”

A superficial vacation is known as a “Cook’s tour”.