Eric Zuelow explains the origins of vacations on ‘National Public Radio’ podcast

Eric Zuelow recently discussed his book and the origin of vacations on an NPR podcast
Eric Zuelow recently discussed his book and the origin of vacations on an NPR podcast

It is that time of year when many people take a break from work and head off on vacation. So, when did this idea of taking a vacation come about?

“Over the last 300 or 400 years, we've learned that we need a vacation. We don't, but we've learned to think that we do,” said Eric G. E. Zuelow, Ph.D., chair of the Department of History and Philosophy and professor of European history. 

In his book, A History of Modern Tourism, Zuelow walks readers through the story of how we learned to love travel. He recently discussed his book and the origins of vacations on a podcast on National Public Radio (NPR) featuring today’s most creative thinkers, from authors to researchers to business leaders.

Zuelow told NPR that we have embraced the notion of self-improvement through travel.

“We've learned that we gain a great deal of social prestige and social status by where we are able to go,” he told host Kara Miller.

Zuelow taped the show at WGBH radio in Boston. The program was then distributed to NPR stations across the country.

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