Frommer’s Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of First Travel Book
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Frommer’s has become a household name in the travel business over the years, but it wasn’t always the most glamorous business in the world. When Arthur Frommer “travelled” through Europe, it was on behalf of the US military. He learned to do it cheap, and it was the frugal nature of his guides that resonated with readers, propelling him to nearly instant success.
He’d been drafted and was headed to a U.S. base in Germany. But whenever he had a weekend’s leave or a three-day pass, he’d hop a train to Paris or hitch a ride to England on an Air Force flight. Eventually he wrote a guide to Europe for GIs and had 5,000 copies printed. They sold out at 50 cents apiece, and when his Army stint was over, he rewrote the book for civilians, self-publishing “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day” in 1957.
“It struck a chord and became an immediate best-seller,” he recalled.
On the 50th anniversary of the book’s publication, Frommer is still being credited with helping to change leisure travel by showing average Americans that they could afford a trip to Europe. And while the dollar-a-day series is finally ending this year after selling millions of copies, the Frommer brand remains strong, with a new series from Arthur’s daughter Pauline carrying on the tradition.
So, Arthur Frommer didn’t start out to build a huge travel-related business. He merely found a need, and filled it. Over the years, the company’s offering of travel guides has expanded rapidly, and is available in almost every format.
Happy Anniversay to Frommers.
Are you a fan of Frommer’s travel guides?
Resource: Post Bulletin
Picture: Southern Illinoisan
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