Who Were The First People To Take Vacations?

National Plan for Vacation Day, on the last Tuesday in January, reminds us to plan our vacation at the start of the year for the rest of the year. The early bird gets to pack their bags and fly away for a little fun and relaxation!

• 14th Century – Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” features the word ‘vacacioun,’ which refers to spare time. The word ‘vacacioun’ is used in the prologue of the “Wife of Bath” chapter.
• 19th Century – During this time, vacation refers to vacating school premises.
• 1758 – the world’s oldest known travel agency is Cox & Kings, established in 1758 in India
• 1768 – The first recorded use of the term “sightseeing” can be traced back to 1768 in the journal of James Boswell.
• 1860s – the concept of postcards originated in Austria in the 1860s. Austria allowed postcards to be sent with a message on one side and an address on the other, becoming the very first country in the world to do so
• 1869 – As a young Boston preacher, William Murray publishes one of the first guidebooks ever about the wild Adirondack Mountains region.
• 1914 – the first scheduled passenger airline service took place on January 1, 1914. The world’s first-ever daily scheduled flight took off from St. Petersburg to Tampa, Florida, USA. The brief 23-minute journey covering a distance of 21 miles (34 kilometers) was a milestone in the history of transportation, marking a new era of convenience and accessibility.
• 1950 -The first all-inclusive resort opened its doors in 1950 in Jamaica, marking a new era of vacationing that has since become synonymous with fun, relaxation, and indulgence.
• 1958 – Engineer John Michael Lyons invented the very first luggage carousel.
• 1966 – the term “jet lag” was only invented in 1966. Horace Sutton, a journalist from the Los Angeles Times, originally coined the phrase to describe the overwhelming feelings of fatigue and disorientation that come with rapidly traveling across multiple time zones.
• 1972 – Tony and Maureen Wheeler on a trip from London to Australia, documented their experiences, which later became the foundation for their travel guidebook publishing company. Lonely Planet has become the world’s largest travel guidebook publisher.
• 2004 – Founded in 2004, Couchsurfing has grown into a global platform that challenges traditional travel norms by offering the opportunity for travelers to stay with friendly locals for free.
• 2015 – Surveys show that Americans don’t use their vacation days, which, in turn, negatively affects their health, relationships and companies.
• 2020 – Over 11,000 organizations and travel influencers shared 15,250 posts on the internet during National Plan for Vacation Day in 2020.
• According to the U.S. Travel Association, more than half of all working people in the U.S. forfeit paid time off at the end of the year.
• It is estimated that Americans allow more than 750 million vacation days to be left unused.
• Vacations work to reduce stress by removing people from their stressful work and school situations.
• Studies show that planning and taking a vacation reduces stress, boosts happiness, increases motivation and may even avoid depression.
• “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This saying still rings true when all you do is work without taking time to rest and treat yourself.
• Steps for planning a vacation:
  • For large, important trips, start planning 6-12 months in advance. But some people like to find last-minute deals a few weeks ahead.
  • Determine how much time off you earn. Look up the number of vacation days you earn by checking with your finance or HR team. Don’t forget to make a note of any office closures.
  • Coordinate calendars. Plot out your year—enter the number of days you earn, put your vacation dreams on the calendar, and use your custom link to get your family and friends involved in the planning.
  • Share your plans. Once you have your days determined, use the calendar to export your plans to Outlook, Gmail, or other electronic calendars to share with your boss, co-workers, and family.
  • When will the vacation be? Will all of the weeks be used at once or will they be divided up throughout the year?
  • Who will go? Will it be a couple’s vacation, a family vacation or a large group of friends?
  • What kind of budget is available for travel? Is it an all-inclusive resort, a bargain deal to the place where the airline is offering the cheapest flights, or a tour with a group of strangers?
  • What’s the preferred way to travel? By car, train, or airplane?
• According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), people who work 55 hours or more a week are at a much higher risk of suffering from heart disease and stroke than those who work just 35-40 hours per week.
• Vacation films:
  • Vacation (2015). Based on the National Lampoon series from the 1980s, this movie brings fun and ridiculous adventures.
  • Blended (2014). Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler star in this madcap comedy family vacation movie.
  • Girls Trip (2017). Four lifelong friends travel to New Orleans to visit the annual Essence festival with Regina Hall and Queen Latifah.
• The Romans took the first vacation, and they would go away for two whole years!
• Stay-cations are vacations you take but you stay home during your time off. You may choose to work on projects that you find enjoyable, sleep in, or tour your city’s sights.
• The longest non-stop commercial flight currently is operated by Singapore Airlines between Singapore and Newark, USA. Covering a distance of 15,344 km, this flight takes a whopping 18 hours and 45 minutes to complete.
• Travel insurance has been around for centuries. It dates back to ancient China, where merchants would pay for protection against loss or theft during their journeys.
• Backpacking became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Young people started to explore the world with nothing but a backpack on their shoulders and a sense of adventure in their hearts.
• the word hotel is derived from the French word “hôtel,” which refers to a townhouse or mansion. It wasn’t until later that the meaning of the word shifted to refer to an establishment that provides accommodation.
• Tokyo is home to over 230 Michelin-starred restaurants, making it the city with the most Michelin-starred establishments in the world.
• Bangkok is a bustling city that continuously draws in travelers from all over the world. It holds the title of being the city with the highest number of international visitors per year!

Sources: 

Days of the Year

National Today

National Day Calendar

Travel Challenges