1950 - 1955
Black and white television sets are placed in hotel lobbies and other public places across the US.
1950 - 1959
The American Hotel Association create their first universal credit card. This eventually becomes the American Express card.
1950 - 1959
The first hotel 'chain' opens in California and the TraveLodge is born.
1951
The Peak District is established as a National Park in the UK.
1951
The Lake District is established as a National Park in the UK.
1951
Snowdonia is established as a National Park in the UK.
1951
Dartmoor is established as a National Park in the UK.
1951
The famous Cog Railway at Pikes Peak introduces the new plexiglass-top diesel train.
1952
Kemmons Wilson opens the first Holiday Inn outside Memphis, Tennessee. This is named after the Bing Crosby movie. Wilson’s company vision was to create a chain of clean, affordable hotels with the same amenities, so guests would know exactly what to expect. This first hotel had 120 rooms, each with air conditioning, television and a telephone and children under 12 could stay for free. The company now operates 3,300 hotels worldwide, with approximately 120 million guests per year.
1952
The Pembrokeshire Coast is established as a National Park in the UK.
1952
The North York Moors are established as a National Park in the UK.
1952
Themed around ancient myths and legends, Efteling opens in the Netherlands. With 4.7 million visitors a year, it is the most popular theme park in Europe.
1952
SS United States wins the blue ribbon for the fastest transatlantic crossing.
1953
The first colour televisions are introduced in America, but high prices mean they are slow to catch on in the market.
1953
American Airlines uses the Douglas DC-7 to pioneer the first non-stop transcontinental service in both directions across the United States.
1953
Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay climb Mount Everest.
1954
Italian mountaineers Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni climb K2.
1954
The Yorkshire Dales are established as a National Park in the UK.
1954
Exmoor is established as a National Park in the UK.
1954
The first Howard Johnson opens.
1954
Conrad Hilton buys Statler Hotels for $111 million. This is the largest real estate deal ever.
1955
Disneyland opens to the public on July 18 in Anaheim, California (it is renovated and expanded in 2001). The park is built at a cost of $17 million and total attendance on the first day is 28,154. Disneyland offers 18 attractions, and boasts one million visitors in seven weeks.
1955
Hilton begins installing air conditioning in every hotel in the group.
1955
Car registration in the UK hits 3.5 million (up from 1.8 million in 1946).
1955
Hilton creates its first central reservation office, called HILCRON. Reservations can be made at any Hilton by telephone, telegram, or Teletype.
1955
Hilton Istanbul opens, the first modern hotel built from the ground up in post-Second World War Europe. The landmark property earns its own postal code and stamp.
1955
Almost every family in Western Europe, North America and Japan now own a radio.
1955 - 1975
America is involved in the Vietnam War, a conflict between communist-supported North Vietnam and capitalist-supported South Vietnam.
1956
On 29 June President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (Federal-Aid Highway Act), authorising the use of $25 billion for construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highway systems.
1956
Northumberland is established as a National Park in the UK.
1956
The Virgin Islands National Park is established in United States Virgin Islands, USA.
1956 - 1957
A replica of the original Mayflower, the Mayflower II, is built in Brixham, England and sails to Plymouth, Massachusetts with famous mariner Alan Villiers at the helm. It is opened as a museum at the State Pier in Plymouth Center.
![San Antonio Abad [Ibiza] - one corner of the big, blue bay](media/west_pta_2_1_40_0008.jpg)
1956 - 1959
The Baleraric Islands of Spain (Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera and surrounding smaller islands) see an increase in tourism due to simplification of customs and visa processes, relaxing of currency regulations and modification of exchange rates. These areas soon grow to become ideal tourist destinations for the mass tourism market.
1956 - 1992
Missouri, Kansas and Pennsylvania all claim to be the first states to begin building interstate highways following the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act. Construction of all interstate routes will not be complete until 1992.
1957
The New York Aquarium re-opens at its new location on Coney Island.
1957
The Brecon Beacons is established as a National Park in the UK.
1957
J. W. Marriot opens the world’s first motor hotel, or motel, in Arlington, Virginia.
1958
The first free 800 number for reservation calls and the first electronic reservation system, 'Reservatron', come into service in Sheraton Hotels.
1958
Hilton Carte Blanche credit card is created.
1958
The Polytechnic Touring Association is renamed Poly Travel.
1959
The first major tubular steel roller coaster, the Matterhorn, premiers at Disneyland.
1959
After assessing the potential damage to a historic site from the build of the Aswan High Dam, the Egyptian and Sudanese governments appeal to UNESCO for help protecting and preserving the historic sites. This begins the eventual development of the UNESCO World Heritage Site program.
1959
On 25 January 1959 American Airlines offers the first coast-to-coast jet service with the Boeing 707.
1959
Hilton pioneers the airport-hotel concept by opening the 380 room San Francisco Airport Hilton.
1959 - 1962
Rockaway Beach suffers a series of setbacks, with the closing of the hospital, some schools and the courthouse and begins to lose popularity with the tourist crowds.
1960
Following increasing affluence of the Western general public, as well as the development of the aircraft industry, the tourist industry sees an increase in foreign holidays. European coastal destinations profit and the seaside holiday abroad becomes a popular destination for people of all classes.
1960
The Olympics, held in California, are televised for the first time. Many Americans take up skiing, helping to further popularise it as a leisure activity.
1960 - 1969
Colour television broadcasting in PAL format is standardised in Europe.
1960 - 1969
The advent of large passenger jets brings about the major decline of the intercontinental Cruise Liner trade.
1961
The first Six Flags park opens in Texas. In its first full season of operation, the park welcomes 1.3 million visitors. Six Flags is the first theme park to introduce the log flume concept. Other innovations include the Batman ride in 1992 (the first roller coaster to go underground) and the Superman ride in 1997 (the tallest (415 feet) and fastest (100mph) roller coaster to date).
1961
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the first international hotel chain to open a property in the Middle East – the InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut in Lebanon. Today, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts operates 37 properties in North America, 31 in Europe, 29 in the Middle East, 19 in Latin America and 51 in Asia Pacific.
1961 - 1970
Hotel chain Four Seasons opens its first hotel in Toronto, Canada. Owner Issy Sharpe opens a London hotel in 1970, with a vision for smart but down to earth hotels not designed for ‘dukes and duchesses’. The brand now own 97 hotels in 41 countries.
1962
William Becker and Paul Greene found Motel 6 in Santa Barbara, aiming to build bargain rate motels. The original price, $6 a night, inspired the company’s name and Motel 6 now operates more than 1,100 motels across the Unites States and Canada.
1962 - 2008
Astroland amusement park is opened next to Steeplechase amusement park at Coney Island, briefly improving the financial status of the old park.
1962
The Petrified Forest National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
1963
Polaroid introduces the first instant colour film.
1963
British Rail announce the retirement of the 'Flying Scotsman' locomotive.
1963
The American Hotel Association rebrands as the American Hotel & Motel Association.
1964
The first SeaWorld opens in San Diego, exhibiting dolphins, sea lions and various other attractions. More than 400,000 guests visit in the first year, and SeaWorld now has locations in Orlando (1973) and San Antonio (1988).
1964
Canyonlands National Park is established in Utah, USA.
1965
Having benefited from the post-war holiday boom of the 1950s and 1960s, Thomas Cook & Son's net profits exceed £1 million for the first time. However, now existing in a cut-throat marketplace, the business begins to struggle against its younger rivals.
1965
Launch of Lady Hilton, the first hotel concept designed exclusively for women travellers. Select hotels feature women-only floors and rooms and provide special amenities tailored to women.
1965
Holiday Inn contracts IBM to design and implement Holidex, a computerised booking system that provides a constant flow of information between the chain's hotels and the home office in Memphis.
1965
There are now 662 lift-served places to ski in the United States, increased from only 78 in 1955.
1965
Having been acquired by Harold Bamberg in 1962, Poly Travel is merged with Henry Lunn Ltd to become Lunn Poly. This is soon one of the biggest travel agencies in the UK.
1966
Nagashima Spa Land opens in Japan. It becomes the 8th most visited theme park in the world.
1966
Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino is opened by Jay Sarno and partner Nate Jacobsen in Las Vegas. For the inauguration ceremony, the owners spend $1 million on Ukrainian caviar, two tons of filet mignon, 300 pounds of Maryland crabmeat and 50,000 glasses of champagne. By the time it opened, the hotel had generated $42 million in advanced bookings. Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams and Celine Dion are notable performers at the hotel’s performance venue, The Colosseum.
1966
In December, American Airlines charters its last piston airplane flight with the DC-6.
1966
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is established in Texas, USA.
1967
The Atlanta Hyatt Regency opens. This is the first hotel to feature a central atrium.
1967
Trans World Airlines buys Hilton International.
1967 - 1987
Center Parcs is established in Holland by Piet Derksen. The brand is introduced to the United Kingdom in 1987. Centre Parcs’ concept is of a ‘villa in the forest’.
1967
Dick Barker and Frank Ewing launch Barker-Ewing to take tourists on professional boating trips along the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park.
1968
North Cascades National Park is established in Washington, USA.
![[The Redwood Tree]](media/chs_ca_eph_highways1_redwoodhighway2_0008.jpg)
1968
Redwood National Park is established in California, USA.
1968
British passports now only need to be renewed once every 10 years.
1969
On 2 March Concorde, the super-sonic airliner, takes to the skies for its maiden flight.
1969
24-hour room service is implemented in Westin Hotels.
1969
EconoLodge is established.
1969
Scottsdale, Arizona hosts the first DoubleTree Hotel, belonging to Hilton.
1970
American Airlines merges with Trans Caribbean Airways, allowing them to offer Caribbean routes for the first time.
1970
On 2 March, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad becomes part of the Burlington Northern Railroad.
1970
Tybee Island, Georgia becomes home to the first Days Inn opened by Cecil B. Day.
1970
Hilton buys its first gambling casinos, the Flamingo Hotel and Las Vegas International, both in Las Vegas.
1970
Sheraton is the first hotel chain with a toll-free 800-number for direct guest access (1-800-325-3535), still in use today.
1971
Lunn Poly becomes part of the Thomson Travel Group and significantly increases in size.
1971
Capitol Reef National Park is established in Utah, USA.
1971
Voyageurs National Park is established in Minnesota, USA.
1972
Thomas Cook is bought by a consortium of Midland Bank, Trust House Forte and the Automobile Association and is privatised again. It undergoes radical reorganisation and rebranding in an attempt to stay ahead of the competition.
1972
The "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" is agreed upon by the General Conference of UNESCO. From now, the council works to recognise World Heritage Sites and guarantee their protection.
1972
Marriot partners with Sun Line, becoming the first lodging company to enter the cruise business.
1973
The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino is opened in Las Vegas. With 6,852 rooms, the MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the United States.
1973
The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel opens in the refurbished Terminal Station in Tennessee. The 24 acre complex includes two hotel buildings, restaurants, shops, and rose gardens. Guests can overnight in restored authentic sleeper cars, once reserved for only the wealthiest of passengers during the railroad era.
1973
Free in-room movies are offered by the Sheraton Anaheim.
1973
Thomas Cook & Son Ltd changes its name to Cook International Ltd.
1974
With the building of the final piece of Interstate 80, Nebraska becomes the first state to complete all mainline interstate highways on 17 October. Construction had begun in 1957.
1974
Having survived the recession of the 1970s, Thomas Cook launches its Money Back Guarantee scheme.
1974
Thomas Cook & Son Ltd changes its name to Thomas Cook Group Ltd. Aministrative departments begin to move from London to Peterborough, though 45 Berkeley Street, London remains the company's worldwide headquarters until 1999.
1975
Europa-Park opens in Germany, and remains the 2nd most popular theme park in Europe. Counting 250,000 visitors in its first year, the park now facilitates 4 million visitors per annum.
1976
Everland in South Korea opens, becoming Korea’s largest theme park. Operated by Samsung, it has approximately 7.38 million annual visitors.
1976
On 21 January Concorde becomes the first passenger supersonic service, inaugurated simultaneously by British Airways to Bahrain and Air France to Rio de Janeiro via Dakar.
1977 - 1979
Best Western begins advertising themselves as the "World's Largest Lodging Chain". By 1979, Best Western accommodates 15 million guests and generates $1 billion in room sales.
1977
English Heritage limits access to the stones at Stonehenge to protect them from further erosion.
1977
Ocean Park Hong Kong opens to the public, exhibiting marine mammals, an oceanarium, an animal theme park and an amusement park. The park receives 7.6 million visitors in 2014, and is the largest theme park in Asia.
1977
The Orient Express is discontinued due to continual decline in passengers.
1977
On 24 April American Airlines launches their 'Super Saver' fare, offering discounted rates from New York and California.
1978
The first hotel casino outside Nevada is opened in Atlantic City; Resorts International. Within half an hour of opening its doors, over 5,000 people enter the casino. This paved the way for further developments and 11 casinos now operate in Atlantic City.
1978
In March, American Airlines expands their 'Super Saver' fare to cover all American routes.
1978
Badlands National Park is established in South Dakota, USA.
1978
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is established in North Dakota, USA.
1979
New York City purchases Coney Island's Steeplechase Park from Fred Trump, with plans to attract a developer to build a large theme park and casino on the park. The lot lies vacant for five years.
1979
The final section of Interstate 5, connecting Canada, Mexico and the United States, is completed in California on 12 October.
1980
Wrangell-St Elias National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
1980
Biscayne National Park is established in Florida, USA.
1980
Channel Islands National Park is established in California, USA.
1980
Gates of the Arctic National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
1980
Glacier Bay National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
1980
Katmai National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
1980
Kenai Fjords National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
1980
Kobuk Valley National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
1980
Lake Clark National Park is established in Alaska, USA.
![[Historic Rome]](media/mhs_ameliapeabody_postcard_1930-1940_2_0013.jpg)
1980
The Historic Centre of Rome is given World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.
1980 - Present
The work of British scientist Tim Berners-Lee pioneers the World Wide Web and the internet revolutionises society from the 1990s onwards.
1981
The first detachable quad chairlift is installed in Breckenridge, Colorado. Using two cables, the speed with which the skier is deposited at the top is increased, allowing for a faster run for skiers. This type of chair lift soon spreads to the other ski resorts.
1981
The United States become the first country to issue machine-readable passports.
1982
The Orient Express is revived as the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express by American, James Sherwood.
1982
EPCOT Centre opens at Walt Disney World in Florida. Considered a permanent World's Fair, EPCOT is the first theme park to surpass $1 billion in cost.
1983
The first park to offer both a water and amusement park for a single admission price opens at Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio.
1983
Tokyo Disneyland opens on 15 April.
1983
English Heritage is created by the National Heritage Act in the UK and works as a government body to preserve historic buildings and listings in England. It is renamed as Historic England in 2005 after restructuring.
1983
Reservations and checkouts using major credit cards are offered for the first time through Westin Hotels.
1983
Sony releases the first consumer camcorder, Betamovie BMC-100P.
1983
A Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monument is set up by the Greek government and, with funding and support from the European Union, works to restore ancient Greek sites such as the Parthenon.
1983
UNESCO designates Machu Picchu a World Heritage Site.
1983
The Taj Mahal is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
1984
62% of all US hotel rooms now belong to hotel chains.
1984
First Hampton Inn opens in Memphis, Tennessee.
1985
The ancient city of Petra is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
1985
Sheraton becomes the first international hotel chain to operate a hotel in the People's Republic of China.
1985
Travelodge launches its first hotel Trusthouse Forte at Barton under Needwood, becoming the UK's first value hotel brand. Travelodge now has over 500 hotel sites.
1985
Ryanair is launched by the Ryan family with a share capital of just £1 and a staff of 25. The first daily flights operate between Waterford in the southeast of Ireland and London Gatwick.
1986
Great Basin National Park is established in Nevada, USA.
1986
Stonehenge and its surroundings are declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
1986
Ryanair challenges British Airways and Air Lingus on the Dublin to London route, sparking the first price war over return flights. In its first full year of operation, Ryanair carries 82,000 passengers.
1986
The United States implement the Visa Waiver Program to facilitate tourism and short business visits.
1986
The final section of Interstate 80 is completed at Salt Lake City, Utah on 22 August. This is the first highway to span the distance between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
1986 - 1994
New York City approves the plans of businessman Horace Bullard to rebuild Steeplechase Park on Coney Island. This plan however encounters problems with various politicians and is eventually negated by the building of a baseball stadium on the site by the New York mayor in 1994.
1987
Hilton's first guest loyalty programme, Hilton HHonors, begins.
1987
The Great Wall of China is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
1987
The city of Bath, United Kingdom becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its famous architecture.
1987
Budget hotel chain Travel Inn opens its first site next to "The Watermilll" Beefeater in Basildon.
1988
Marriott opens its 500th hotel in Warsaw, Poland, the first western-managed hotel in Eastern Europe.
1988
American Samoa National Park is established in the American Samoa, USA.
1988
Great Britain becomes the first country to join the US Visa Waiver Program in July. They are closely followed by Japan in December.
1989
The Petra National Trust is established to attempt to reduce the impact of heavy tourism on the ancient site.
1989
First Homewood Suites Hotel opens in Omaha, New England.
1989
The Broads is established as a National Park in the UK.
1989
The Mirage opens in Las Vegas with 3,039 rooms. The original marquee sign in front of the Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world and it is the most expensive hotel casino in history, with a construction cost of $630 million.
1989
Lotte World in South Korea opens. Lotte World is the world’s largest indoor theme park and has around 7.6 million visitors a year.
1989
The first portable digital camera is sold in Japan.
1990
The first portable digital camera is sold in the US.
1990
Hilton Garden Inn begins with four properties.
1990
Butlins resorts now include Splash Waterworlds, boasting water slides, spas and wave pools.
1990
The final section of coast-to-coast Interstate 10 is completed on 10 August. It runs from Santa Monica, California to Jacksonville, Florida.
1990 - 1991
The Gulf War breaks out against Iraq in response to the invasion of Kuwait.
1990 - Present
Email becomes the most used form of communication.
1991
Gulf War fighting has a huge impact on airline traffic, with Ryanair reporting their first and only passenger dip (745,000 in 1990 to 651,000 in 1991)
1991
Westin Hotels provides in-room voicemail.
1991
The final coast-to-coast highway, Interstate 90, is completed on 12 September. It connects Seattle, Washington with Boston, Massachusetts.
1992
Euro Disney, later renamed Disneyland Paris, opens with two theme parks and a golf course.
1992
Dry Tortugas National Park is established in Florida, USA.
1992
Thomas Cook Ltd is sold to Westdeutsche Landesbank (WestLB) and the charter airline LTU Group for £200 million.
1992
The opening of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon, Colorado completes the original interstate highways system. It has taken 35 years (building began in 1956) and cost $114 billion compared to the original estimate of $25 billion.
1993 - 2000
An extensive restoration project is carried out on the Colosseum in Rome due to damage caused by pollution and general deterioration.
1993
Money won by Nevada casinos tops the $6 billion mark for the first time.
1993
MGM Grand Hotel and Theme Park opens in Las Vegas, with 5,005 rooms and a 171,500- square-foot casino; to date the largest resort hotel-casino in the world.
1994
Death Valley National Park is established in California and Nevada, USA.
1994
Joshua Tree National Park is established in California, USA.
1994
Saguaro National Park is established in Arizona, USA.
1994
New York mayor Rudy Giuliani builds a baseball stadium on the Steeplechase Park site on Coney Island.
1994
Travelodge opens their first airport hotel in the UK at Gatwick.
1995
The first Hotel Room Management System is launched at European level.
1995
Holiday Inn became the first chain hotel to allow guests to book directly through the hotel's website.
1995
UNESCO declares Easter Island a World Heritage Site.
1995
Hilton website launches offering guest reservations online.
1995
Ryanair becomes the largest passenger airline on the Dublin to London route, carrying over two million passengers a year.
1995
Greek Cypriot businessman Stelios Haji-Ioannou creates Easyjet, with the aim of making a customer-focused airline. The first flight departs from Luton to Glasgow.
1996
The phrase 'Dark Tourism' is coined by academics Lennon and Foley to describe leisure travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy.
1996
Easyjet operate their first leased aircraft to Amsterdam.
1997
The first non-stop scheduled commercial flight from Frankfurt-Mein International Airport in Germany lands on 7 May with 215 passengers at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas.
1997
Ryanair launches their first European routes to Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway.
1998
The Bellagio, billed as the most expensive hotel in the world ($1.7 billion) opens on the Las Vegas Strip and initiates a policy barring persons under 18 years of age who are not registered guests of the hotel.
1998
Easyjet launch their first website and begin taking online bookings.
1999
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is established in Colorado, USA.
1999
The last telegram is sent from the National Liberty Ship Memorial, the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien, in San Francisco Bay to President Bill Clinton in the White House on 12 July.
2000
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is established in Ohio, USA.
2000
Ryanair launches Europe's largest online booking website.
2000
The American Hotel and Motel Association rebrands as the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
2000
Easyjet celebrate their 10 millionth seat sold online.