The Washington herald., 1909-04-29
THE TIDE OF TOURISTS
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

There are some $4,000 Americans going
abroad IN this year Of grace 1893 and they
viii have left enough money behind them
wnen they return next fan and winter.
10 maintain Uncle Sans great navy for a
fun year. The number OF tourists and
globe trotters who 20 from these shores
every year has been growing with each
Passing season. and now even lordly
John Bull does not scorn the little tide OF
sold that sets Slis way. flowing along
with the tourist As for Switzerland, the
beauty Of its scenery has proved more
than substitute for the lacking fertility
OF soil. The Swiss have organized and
capitalized their beautiful landscapes
and lakes in way that makes Il more
profitable 20 have the barren lands than
20 possess the most fertile region in
Europe They draw over 2oo9.Ooo tour
lists 70 their land every year, and an ex-
penditUre OF but so head would mean
ss0.ooo.00o as the annual tribute the world
pays 10 roam through Switzerland. This
is equal 10 double the total amount OF
D.
An interesting insight into the way the
American tourist spends his money when
he goes abroad is 10 be had from a state
ment given out by a leading London
hotel IN q recent year II entertained
$50 American tourists. and when il came
10 cast Up their accounts. II was found
that $50 each was the average. Like ex-
aminatiOns Of hotel accounts al other
points have borne out the experience OF
the London hosiery. Even the humble
tip wears a lordly air when taken as
whole It has been estimated that the
railway guards OF England get Sl,500,0o0
a year in "tO insure prOmptness."
An experienced tourist agent has fig
Ured out the financial end Of the tourist
business with a great deal OF care. His
conclusions are that the average Ameri-
can travelling abroad leaves behind hirn
$50. hard cash. That means these tour
lists spend a total Of SIS. .Oo00e0 in addition
TO the cost Of steamship tickets. which
would add ar least S5N0eo.000 more. He
concludes that the average letter Of cred
II carried abroad by the Americans calls
for SS000. ranging from few hundred
dollars Up TO S75.o0o He is Of the opinion
that the American women travelling
abroad spend 100000 IN Paris gowns. and
almost as much more in Partisan mil
1inery
The American has taken his place at
the head Of the list OF globe tr0tters. The
day was when John BuII was the great
est traveller in the world His business
and his pleasure took him TO the ends
OF the earth His familiar fg1Ire was
seen and his peculiar accent was heard
more than those OF any other nationality
But that was before Uncle sam had
grown rich enough to play the globe
trotter. He has since reached the period
Of comfortable affluence. and can spend
money in way that makes John Bull
only second in the race The result IS
that one sees two American suit-cases
where he sees one English Gladstone bag
The mechanism Of travel has been de-
velOped into that high state OF perfec-
ton that aStOunds him who Is unac-
quslnted with t. II was only in 1871. the
year Tippecan0e and Tyler too as
sunled the reins OF the United States gov
ernment. that the first excursion train
was run. It was an English venture and
ran from Leicester 10 Loughborough. 20
attend q public meeting. and the exchr-
sion was conducted by the father Of the
worlds greatest excursion business His
successors can now issue q few STAINED
pieces Of paste5osrd. which viii be hon
ored for a dinner on the Nile OF lunch
IN Siberia; which viii settle for 2 ride
on an African camel, OF for being carried
by Chinese coolies. u will carry one 20
the next town OF bring him around the
world and back again. Il is the triumph
OF the twentieth century travel
One who has not sailed every sea can
scarcely realize the vast ARRANGEMENTS
that have been made for the aCcommOda- +
ton OF the tourists and how the tour
lists are continually demanding more and
greater accommodations London. a gen
GRAFTON ago, was not much OF hotel
Town. Its hOstelTies were always dIsap-
pointing 20 Americans. Then came the
trail OF the tourist He woke up the
hotel man he wanted better accomuo-
dations and he did not rest until he got (
them The result is many superb hotels
standing as monuments 70 the American /
traveller who wanted the best. SWitzer-
land built twenty-six electric mountain !
railways 70 satisfy the cravings Of the I
traveller for new thrills and sensations
and every one has proved more than q /
paying investment Switzerland has
schools in which guides are trained and I
supplied with that strange admixture OF 4
history. fact. and fancy which makes 1
such pleasing tumble for the tourist. 4
Other schools teach the art OF hotel wait
ing, and. in short. there Is 4 school for (
every branch Of the industry of enter +
tanning travellers. and incidentally Of I
parting them from their coin
France IS perhaps the most fortunate of I
the tourist. Besides her fun quota Of /
ordinary tourists good roads make her /
the paradise OF the sutomobilist There 4
are usually about 5000 automobile parties 1
from America touring in France during I
q single season. and IN these parties there /
are some 40Q1 Americans II Is est I
mated that they alone drop SS5. .O00. 600 OF \
good American coin in the course Of their
travels. French bankers think that the
total income Of that country from tour
ISIS amounts 70 more than 900 900 900
Even Egypt's toll on the tourist amounts
70 as much annually as would be required
TO rebuild the Library Of Congress.
Il IS a great boon to a given region to
become fabied IN song and story. The
Prisoner Of Chiffon has brought many a
shekel 20 the region Of Lake Geneva. and
the Lady OF the Lake" has done equally
well by Loch LomOnd The Lake Coun-
try of England draws q host Of literary
tourists. Lake LUcerne Is the most fire.
quented lake in the world. In an or year
its steamboats, carried more than f.5e1.A 90
people, and Loo tons OF baggage
But Europe has no gripping monopoly
on the American tourist South America
the West Indies. Mexico and the Orient
the tourist business from the United
States and Canada. Jamaica with its
splendid roads, its wide range OF climate.
and its beautiful scenery. has become
one OF the favorite winter resorts. and