McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Thomas Cook (Firm)
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1841-2012
History
Thomas Cook was the world's oldest travel firm. In 1841, Thomas Cook, a British cabinet maker, had an idea to establish a travel agency and charge for facilitating transport. The First Excursion Train ran from Leicester to Loughborough, England, on July 5, 1841. From humble beginnings, he capitalized on the growing interest in tourism and organized package tours around Europe and, by 1872, the world. The firm ran hotels, resorts, airlines, and cruises for 19 million people a year in 16 countries. It also published numerous guidebooks, maps, hotel directories, exhibition catalogues, and periodicals. In 2019, the firm closed due to debt, modern commerce, and the internet.