Tourists

In the early 1800s, a new social phenomenon was born in Britain. The exploration of Europe, previously the preserve of the wealthy and aristocratic, began to be taken up by the British middle-classes. The era of the lofty Grand Tour was over; here instead was the advent of tourism as we know it today. In 'Tourists,' Lucy Lethbridge brings the voices of ordinary British travellers vividly to life. She charts the rise of guidebooks, explores the connection between tourism and mass production and shines a light on the evolving public attitudes towards leisure. Sweeping in its scope, extensively researched and brilliantly observed, 'Tourists' is an original and fascinating portrait of Brits abroad, with all their foibles and eccentricities.