Saturday, November 17, 2007

In Britain

The pioneer of modern mass tourism was Thomas Cook who, on 5 July 1841, organized the first package tour in history. He arranged for the rail company to charge one shilling per person for a group of 570 temperance campaigners from Leicester to a rally in Loughborough, eleven miles away. Cook was paid a share of the fares actually charged to the passengers, as the railway tickets, being legal contracts between company and passenger, could not have been issued at his own price. There had been railway excursions before, but this one included entrance to an entertainment held in private grounds, rail tickets and food for the train journey. Cook immediately saw the potential of a convenient 'off the peg' holiday product in which everything was included in one cost. He organised packages inclusive of accommodation for the Great Exhibition, and afterwards pioneered package holidays in both Britain (particularly in Scotland) and on the European continent (where Paris and the Alps were the most popular destinations).
He was soon followed by others (the Polytechnic Touring Association, Dean and Dawson etc.), with the result that the tourist industry developed rapidly in late Victorian Britain. Initially it was supported by the growing middle classes, who had time off from their work, and who could afford the luxury of travel and possibly even staying for periods of time in boarding houses.
The Bank Holidays Act 1871 introduced a statutory right for workers to take holidays, even if they were not paid at the time. By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the tradition of the working class holiday had become firmly established in Britain. These were largely focused upon the seaside resorts.
The spread of the railway network in the nineteenth century resulted in the growth of Britain's seaside towns by bringing them within easy distance of Britain's urban centres. Blackpool was created by the construction of a line to Fleetwood, and some resorts were promoted by the railway companies themselves - Morecambe by the Midland Railway and Cleethorpes by the Great Central Railway. Other resorts included Scarborough in Yorkshire, servicing Leeds and Bradford; Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, catering for the inhabitants of Bristol; and Skegness, patronised by the residents of the industrial East Midlands. The cockneys of London flocked to Southend-on-Sea, mainly by Thames Steamer, and the South Coast resorts such as Broadstairs, Brighton, and Eastbourne were only a train ride away, with others further afield such as Bournemouth, Bognor Regis and Weymouth.
For a century, domestic tourism was the norm, with foreign travel being reserved for the rich or the culturally curious. A number of inland destinations, such as the English Lake District, and Snowdonia appealed to those who liked the countryside and fine scenery. The holiday camp began to appear in the 1930s, but this phenomenon really expanded in the post-war period. Butlins and Pontins set this trend, but their popularity waned with the rise of overseas package tours and the increasing comforts to which visitors became accustomed at home. Towards the end of the 20th century this market has been revived by the upmarket inland resorts of Dutch company Center Parcs.
Cox & Co, the forebear of Cox & Kings were in existence from 1758 largely entwined with the travel arrangements for the British Army serving around the Empire. While acting as 'agents' for various regiments, they organised the payment, provision, clothing and travel arrangements for members of the armed forces. In the 19th century their network of offices contained a banking and also travel department. The company became heavily involved with affairs in India and its Shipping Agency had offices in France and the Middle East.
Other phenomena that helped develop the travel industry were paid holidays:
• 1.5 million manual workers in Britain had paid holidays by 1925
• 11 million by 1939 (30% of the population in families with paid holidays)
NGOs and government agencies may sometimes promote a specific region as a tourist destination, and support the development of a tourism industry in that area. The contemporary phenomenon of mass tourism may sometimes result in overdevelopment; alternative forms of tourism such as ecotourism seek to avoid such outcomes by pursuing tourism in a sustainable way.

International

Increasing speed on railways meant that the tourist industry could develop internationally. To this may be added the development of sea travel. By 1901, the number of people crossing the English Channel from England to France or Belgium had passed 0.5 million per year. Shipping companies were anxious to fill cabin space that was under utilised.
For example, P&O found that the majority of their passengers for India and the Far East joined the ship at Marseilles. Consequently, they marketed holidays based upon sea trips from London to Lisbon and Gibraltar. Other companies diverted their older ships to operate cruises in the summer months.
However, the real age of international mass travel began with the growth of air travel after World War Two. In the immediate post-war period, there was a surplus of transport aircraft, such as the popular and reliable Douglas Dakota, and a number of ex military pilots ready to fly them. They were available for charter flights, and tour operators began to use them for European destinations, such as Paris and Ostend.
Vladimir Raitz pioneered modern package tourism when on 20 May 1950 his recently founded company, Horizon, provided arrangements for a two-week holiday in Corsica. For an all inclusive price of £32.10s.-, holiday makers could sleep under canvas, sample local wines and eat a meal containing meat twice a day - this was especially attractive due to the continuing austerity measures in post-war United Kingdom. Within ten years, his company had started mass tourism to Palma (1952), Lourdes (1953), Costa Brava (1954), Sardinia (1954), Minorca (1955), Porto (1956), Costa Blanca (1957) and Costa del Sol (1959).
These developments coincided with a significant increase in the standard of living in Britain. Further, the contribution of affordable air travel in combination with the package tour enabled international mass tourism to develop. The postwar introduction of an international system of airline regulation was another important factor. The bilateral agreements at the heart of the system fixed seat prices, and airlines could not fill blocks of empty seats on underused flights by discounting. But if they were purchased by a tour operator and hidden within the price of an inclusive holiday package, it would be difficult to prove that discounting had taken place - even though it was obvious that it had!
Another significant development also happened at the end of this decade. The devaluation of the Spanish peseta made Spain appear a particularly attractive destination. The cheapness of the cost of living attracted increasing numbers of visitors. Mass package tourism has at times been an exploitative process, in which tour operators in a country with a high standard of living make use of development opportunities and low operating costs in a country with a lower standard of living. However, as witness the development of many tourist areas in previously poor parts of the world, and the concomitant rise in standards of living, when there is equality of bargaining power, both parties can gain economic benefits from this arrangement.
Spain and the Balearic Islands became major tourist destinations, and development probably peaked in the 1980s. At the same time, British tour operators developed the Algarve in Portugal. The continuing search for new, cheaper, destinations spread mass tourism to the Greek Islands, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, and more recently Croatia.
For someone living in greater London, Venice today is almost as accessible as Brighton was 100 years ago. Consequently, the British seaside resort experienced a marked decline from the 1970s onwards. Some, such as New Brighton, Merseyside have disappeared. Others have reinvented themselves, and now cater to daytrippers, the weekend break market or business conferences.

Recent developments

There has been an upmarket trend in the tourism over the last few decades, especially in Europe where international travel for short breaks is common. Tourists have higher levels of disposable income and greater leisure time and they are also better-educated and have more sophisticated tastes. There is now a demand for a better quality products, which has resulted in a fragmenting of the mass market for beach vacations; people want more specialised versions, such as 'Club 18 -30', quieter resorts, family-oriented holidays, or niche market-targeted destination hotels. As well, people are taking second short break holidays.
The developments in technology and transport infrastructure such as jumbo jets and low-budget airlines have made many types of tourism more affordable. There have also been changes in lifestyle, such as retiree-age people who living as a tourist all the year round. This is facilitated by internet purchasing of tourism products. Some sites have now started to offer dynamic packaging, in which an inclusive price is quoted for a tailor- made package requested by the customer upon impulse.
There have been a few setbacks in tourism, such as the September 11, 2001 attacks and terrorist threats to tourist destinations such as Bali and European cities. Some of the tourist destinations, including the beach resorts of CancĂșn have lost popularity due to shifting tastes. In this context, the excessive building and environmental destruction often associated with traditional "sun and beach" tourism may contribute to a destination's saturation and subsequent decline. Spain's Costa Brava, a popular 1960s and 1970s beach location is now facing a crisis in its tourist industry. On December 26, 2004 a tsunami, caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake hit Asian countries bordering the Indian Ocean, and also the Maldives. Tens of thousands of lives were lost, and many tourists died. This, together with the vast clean-up operation in place, has stopped or severely hampered tourism to the area.
The terms tourism and travel are sometimes used interchangeably. In this context travel has a similar definition to tourism, but implies a more purposeful journey. The terms tourism and tourist are sometimes used pejoratively, to imply a shallow interest in the cultures or locations visited by tourists.
Sustainable tourism is becoming more popular as people start to realize the devastating effects poorly planned tourism can have on communities. Receptive tourism is now growing at a very rapid rate in many developing countries, where it is often the most important economic activity in local GDP.
In recent years, second holidays or vacations have become more popular as people's discretionary income increases. Typical combinations are a package to the typical mass tourist resort, with a winter skiing holiday or weekend break to a city or national park.

Books on Ayurveda

*

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Ayurveda: The Ancient Indian Healing
Tradition by Gopi Warrier, Deepika Gunawant (Paperback - August 1997).
..
*

The Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention, & Longevity
by Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha (Paperback - June 1998).
..
*

Heaven's Banquet: Vegetarian Cooking for Lifelong Health the Ayurveda Way
by Miriam Kasin Hospodar (Hardcover - April 1999).
..
*

The Handbook of Ayurveda : India's Medical Wisdom Explained
by Shantha Godagama (Paperback - May 1998).
..
*

Ayurveda and Panchakarma
by Sunil V. V. Joshi (Paperback - September 1997).

Books on Ayurveda

*

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Ayurveda: The Ancient Indian Healing
Tradition by Gopi Warrier, Deepika Gunawant (Paperback - August 1997).
..
*

The Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention, & Longevity
by Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha (Paperback - June 1998).
..
*

Heaven's Banquet: Vegetarian Cooking for Lifelong Health the Ayurveda Way
by Miriam Kasin Hospodar (Hardcover - April 1999).
..
*

The Handbook of Ayurveda : India's Medical Wisdom Explained
by Shantha Godagama (Paperback - May 1998).
..
*

Ayurveda and Panchakarma
by Sunil V. V. Joshi (Paperback - September 1997).

Ayurveda and Kerala

Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests (with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants) and the cool monsoon season (Jun - Nov) are the best suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages. Even today, Ayurveda is widely practiced in Kerala, due to its rich traditional heritage and medicinal herb abundant around the Western Ghats. Click here for Ayurveda Centres

Home Page

Kerala Chat
Find Friends in Kerala
Baby Names in Kerala
Malayalam greeting cards
Kerala Love Calculator
Kerala Match
Sports in kerala
Info Tech (IT) Related Sites
Malayalam Stories
Kerala e-greetings
Useful Links

Kerala Backwater Tourism
Kerala Wild Life
Kerala India Tourism
Tea Plantations in Kerala
Pilgrim Centers in Kerala
Kathakali in Kerala
Kerala tourism Map guide
Sabrimala Temple
Beaches in Kerala
Tour Operators in Kerala
Kerala Festivals
Water Falls in Kerala
House Boat in Kerala
Travel in Kerala
Kerala Hill Stations
Kerala Home stay


Ayurveda Packages - Rejuvenation Packages

Back to Top

Rejuvenation Therapy
( Duration: One and a half hours/day for 07 to 14 days)
This is a complete rejuvenation therapy comprising of synchronized special massage, Herbal steam bath, Njavarakizhi, Pizichil etc. This health program is directed towards improving the vitality. It will also go on long way to tone up the skin and improve complexion.

Body Immunisation
( Duration: One and a half hours/day for 07 to 21 days)
This therapy is carried out after consultation with Ayurveda Doctor. It differs from person to person. This package consists of Panchakarma (05 elements) Therapy. This Therapy is directed towards strengthening the immune system in order to achieve ideal health. This therapy enhances the bodies' ability to develop immunization within itself to prevent common seasonal diseases. Click here for Ayurveda Centres

Body Sudation
( Duration: One hour per day for 07 days)
This package comprises of synchronized massage followed by herbal steam bath. This is meant for improving body resistance, improves the eyesight, inducing deep sleep, reduces high blood pressure and elimination of impurities in the system etc.

Body slimming
( Duration: one hour per day for 07 days)
This package is deep massage using herbal powders. This reduces obesity, imparts, mobility to joints, strengthens muscles and refreshes the body.

Panchakarma Therapy
( Duration: 02 Hours a day for 07 to 14 days)
The package contains the famous Panchakarma [05 therapies] and some of the sub therapies. It is a total and integrated health pack meant for both the healthy and the sick. Therapies include synchronized massage, herbal steam bath, Njavarakizhi, Pizichil Sirodhara etc. followed by Panchakarma therapy.
Click here for Ayurveda Centres

Ayurveda in Kerala

Introduction

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word, derived from two roots: Ayur, which means life, and Veda, means knowledge. Knowledge arranged systematically with logic becomes science. Ayurveda medical system, which was evolved in India, is around the 5,000 year old.


Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but also the individual as a whole. Making it the natural way to refresh you, eliminate all toxic imbalances from the body and thus regain resistance and good health. It has its root in ancient Vedic literature and encompasses our entire life, the body, mind and spirit.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy the entire cosmos is interplay of the energies of the five great elements Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are combinations and permutations of these five elements that manifest as patterns present in all creation. Click here for Ayurveda Centres

Vata, Pitta and Kapha: the Three Doshas

Back to Top

In the physical body, Vata (composed of Space) and Air (the subtle energy associated with movement). It governs breathing, blinking, muscle and tissue movement, pulsation of the heart, and all movements in the cytoplasm and cell membranes. In balance, Vata promotes creativity and flexibility. Out of balance, Vata produces fear and anxiety.

Pitta, made up of Fire and Water, expresses as the body's metabolic system. It governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism and body temperature. In balance, Pitta promotes understanding and intelligence. Out of balance, Pitta arouses anger, hatred and jealousy.

Kapha is formed from Earth and Water and is the energy that forms the body's structure bones, muscles, tendons. It provides the "glue" that holds the cells together. Kapha supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin, and maintains immunity. In balance, Kapha is expressed as love, calmness and forgiveness. Out of balance, it leads to attachment, greed and envy.