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TOUR OPERATORS: A BRIEF HISTORY

Throughout the ages, groups of travelers, eager to discover the unknown, have banded together and embarked on journeys to destinations near and far. One can perhaps imagine the ancient forerunners of today's tour operators shepherding toga-clad tourists through the hanging gardens of Babylon, around the Great Pyramids at Giza, or on side trips to Ephesus.

Modern tour operators -- or organizers of group tours and independent travel packages -- as we know them today, date back to the mid-nineteenth century, and most likely have their roots as ticket agents for steamship lines and railroads. In addition to selling passage, the agents were eventually called upon to develop itineraries and secure accommodations for their wealthy clients. Out of this grew the organized business of selling planned tours to groups of travelers.

A Brief Chronology

By the 1850's, railroad tours were already in operation, followed, after World War I, by the packaging of steamship tours. By the time Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget in 1927, six current members of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) were already established companies. Through the '30's tour wholesaling continued to grow, but slowly, since comfortable and affordable means of passenger transportation were not widespread, and travel was costly.

The post-World War II period, beginning with the late '40's and early '50's, marked a dramatic turning point for the tour operator industry. The reason: the introduction of modern long-range commercial aircraft. A new aviation technology now resulted in lowered airfares, for the first time opening long distance travel to millions of middle class Americans.

Since the postwar period, many of USTOA's current Active Members have helped open doors to new and exotic parts of the world. In 1955, for instance, at the height of "The Cold War," even though no single air carrier flew then from North America to eastern Europe, one present-day USTOA member made it possible for Americans to visit eastern European countries and Russia.

The development of charter air travel opened doors still further. In 1959, another current USTOA member, using a charter DC-6, developed a first series of tours visiting all four major Hawaiian Islands, for a lower price than the lowest scheduled airfare to Honolulu.

By the late '60's, yet another USTOA Active Member had brought more than 8,000 tourists to what were then a few small fishing villages on Spain's now-famous Costa del Sol. At the time, the only air service available was a 44-seat turboprop plane which flew from Madrid three times a week. Compare that with today's daily air service from New York to the Costa Del Sol, and it's easy to see how tour operators were able to influence the growth of a major international resort area.

With the growing importance of the tour operator's role in providing arrangements for an increasingly travel-oriented public, the need for an organization to represent this industry arose. In 1972, the United States Tour Operators Association was formed, providing an organized voice for the professional tour operator community.

Tour Operators Today

Today there are more than 300 independent tour operators, primarily engaged in the business of wholesaling tours. Through volume buying, and thorough research into all destinations, facilities and services, these tour operators negotiate and contract with various suppliers to put together creative itineraries and tour packages. These travel packages are then marketed primarily through independent retail travel agents.

USTOA President Robert E. Whitley estimates that the majority of the tour packages sold by travel agents in the U.S. are booked through USTOA members, half of whom were already in operation before the advent of commercial jet travel! All combined, USTOA's Active Members have more than 1,100 years in the travel business. This group of Active Members includes some of the leading companies in the tour industry. The organization's strict membership requirements and code of ethics help assure today's consumers that they are traveling with professionals whose aim is to deliver quality service and value.

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Press Contact:

Linda Kundell
Kundell Communications
(212) 877-2798 phone
(212) 877-3387 fax
LRKPR@att.net or LRKPR@aol.com

For all other inquiries about USTOA, please contact USTOA.