Tourism is a Strange Thing.
You fly to a foreign country, leaving behind the comforts of home, and then spend huge amounts of money and time on fruitless attempts to obtain the very conveniences you would not have lost if you had stayed at home.
In 1841, the first group tour in history for the less affluent took place in England. Enthusiast T. Cook came up with the idea of organizing a train trip lasting twenty miles, where all participants of this "tour," having paid just a shilling, received sweet rolls with tea along the way. Additionally, a cultural program was organized on the train – a brass band played.
Those who think that female sex tourism emerged a few years ago are mistaken. This phenomenon has been around for quite some time. The first wave of feminism, which surged around 1840, was characterized, among other things, by women traveling to exotic countries with one very original goal: to indulge in "dangerous liaisons" with foreigners.
In one of the luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, tourists can use a gold vending machine.
In the 1980s, a humorous tradition emerged in the West of stealing garden gnomes and taking them on trips. The gnomes are taken, and a note is left in their place: "Went on a trip, will be back soon," or something like that. The figurine is photographed against various landmarks and then returned to its owners along with the photos. For example, the main character in the film "Amélie" sent her father's garden gnome on a journey. Quite a funny tradition.
Sadly, Thailand became a popular country for mass tourism due to the Vietnam War. The Free Kingdom served as a rear base for the American army at that time. They quickly realized that one could vacation well and cheaply here.
Japanese farmers invented a new form of art, which has yet to be named – giant paintings made from rice sprouts in the fields, attracting tourists during the summer months.
Tourists love to take pieces of ancient structures "as souvenirs." Concerned about the fate of the Parthenon, the authorities of Athens hired special workers who, at night, scattered specially brought pieces of marble around the temple.
Forbes magazine recognized the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as one of the "super extravagant tourist destinations where one can both relax and see things that no longer exist anywhere else in the world."
In Dubai, the world's first city under a roof is being built. Its area will be 4-5 million square meters. The city's infrastructure will be connected by seven kilometers of streets covered by a transparent dome to maintain a comfortable temperature.
One of the ardent supporters of civilized tourism was A. Hitler, who believed that every member of the society he was building should spend their vacation as beneficially as possible. According to the great historical "villain," tourism could give Aryans steel nerves, strengthening them in their struggle.
In the EcoAlberto amusement park in Hidalgo, Mexico, anyone can try their hand at being a border crosser. The "attraction" costs about 20 USD and involves a night run of 12 km with obstacles. Participants in the quest must hide in bushes, crawl through barbed wire, while a simulated patrol shoots at them with blank cartridges. In general, a real training for illegal border crossing.
Many tourists from Europe and the USA have refused to vacation or even visit Greece, but not Russian tourists. They are not afraid of the unrest.
In one of the cemeteries in Israel, there is a grave of Harry Potter. He was a 17-year-old private in the British army who died in 1939 in a clash with rebels. Recently, this grave has become the most visited in Israel and has been added to the list of local attractions. And due to the unreal fame, crowds of tourists now trample his grave.
In Paris, in 1981, a Wine Museum was created in one of the surviving underground galleries. Here, one can not only learn about the history and technology of winemaking but also taste the most popular varieties of French wines – a special tasting program is provided after the museum tour.
Of the twenty largest hotels in the USA, seventeen are located in Las Vegas.
In the early 20th century, the children of the wealthiest European elite expressed their protest against the bourgeois environment in which they grew up in a very peculiar way. They went on long hiking trips under the harshest conditions. These trips served both as a means of hardening and a method of self-expression. This movement was called "wandering schoolboys."
The British hotel chain Travelodge published a list of the most unusual items found in hotels in 2011. Vacationers often forget something in hotel rooms, and sometimes it turns out to be not just clothes, phones, or cosmetics, but much more unusual items. A maid was probably surprised when she found a complete set of Christmas decorations, including a Christmas tree, Santa Claus suit, and remnants of a Christmas menu, in a hotel room in the English town of Nuneaton. A couple decided to celebrate Christmas and spent two nights there, creating an atmosphere of a real Christmas celebration in the hotel room, including a banquet and gifts.
In Bolivia, there is the largest salt flat in the world, covering more than 10,000 square kilometers, which appeared in the place of the dried-up Lake Uyuni. There are several hotels built entirely of salt on the territory. In these hotels, not only the walls are salty, but also the furniture and other items. The administration strictly prohibits guests from licking their temporary possessions, as it can cause irreparable harm. But I doubt there are those who have not violated this ban at least once.
The most surprising thing was found in a hotel room in Peterborough, England. A man forgot the urn with the ashes of his deceased wife! He was heading to the place where they had vacationed together – there he wanted to scatter his wife's ashes. In the morning, he hurriedly left the hotel to avoid rush hour and forgot the urn on the windowsill. An hour later, he realized and returned.
You can feel like a resident of a zoo, where visitors are lions, at the Orana Wildlife Park in New Zealand. The animals live here as they would in their natural environment, on an area of 80 hectares. Adventurers are placed in a cage and transported by truck to the area with the lions. Curious predators surround the "enclosure" from all sides.
In Winchester, Sutton Scotney, a couple was in such a hurry to get to a wedding on time that they forgot their 18-month-old baby. Each parent thought the other had placed the infant in the child seat. When they noticed the child was missing – they immediately returned.
There is a country in South Asia – the Kingdom of Bhutan. Until 1974, ordinary people could not enter this country, only by personal invitation from the royal couple. Today, visiting Bhutan is also not something everyone can afford, as tourists must pay a rather high fee for each day of their stay. The government of the country thus tries to protect its unique culture and traditions. In other words, to prevent crowds of ignoramuses from trampling the beautiful landscapes. Only citizens of India, the Maldives, and Bangladesh can enter the country independently; others must obtain a visa by purchasing tours from licensed tour operators. The price of the tour includes accommodation, meals, and constant guidance from a guide, which cannot be refused. The duration of stay is no more than 15 days. A vacation in this country can be considered elite; high prices are justified by high-quality service and amenities. Therefore, tourism brings good income to the country and ranks third in the economy.
Among the most surprising forgotten items are also a replica of the Olympic torch measuring 91 cm, keys to a Ferrari 458 Italia, a magician's magic box, a 1.2 m stuffed parrot, a wedding dress by Vera Wang, and an entire suitcase of Marvel comics.
If there is an Israeli visa in a foreign passport, that person will not be able to visit Muslim countries: Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Sudan. This is the case even if there is a valid visa for that state in the passport.
In Russia, the first excursions and hikes were initiated by the Decembrists, who were engaged in the education of children. They traveled with their wards in search of interesting plants and animals in the surrounding region.
Tourists often confuse Austria with Australia – hence the very popular slogan in Austria, "There are no kangaroos in Austria," which is placed on street signs and souvenirs. However, this confusion also occurs at a high level. Once, at a UN meeting, Austria put forward its candidacy for the Security Council elections. One of the votes was cast in favor of Australia, although it was not even on the list of candidates. And former US President George W. Bush thanked the Australian Prime Minister in 2007 for visiting his "Austrian" contingent in Iraq.
English adventurer David Hempleman-Adams was the first person to complete the "Great Adventure Challenge" – a grueling competition that includes conquering the highest mountain peaks of each continent and visiting all four poles. Hempleman-Adams began his "Challenge" in 1980 by conquering Mount McKinley in Alaska (USA). He completed the endeavor 18 years later after trekking to the North Pole with another adventurer, Rune Geldnes (from March to May 1998).
Japanese tourists visiting Paris often complain of dizziness, hallucinations, depersonalization, and other symptoms of mental disorder. This disorder is called Paris Syndrome. It occurs in poor Japanese due to the stark difference between reality and the idealized image of Paris depicted in Japanese magazines. Moreover, the cultural differences, with always reserved Japanese being shocked by the behavior of the uninhibited French, contribute to this syndrome.