Myths and facts about the sea. Interesting facts about tourism Interesting facts from the history of tourism

These world attractions do not need any introduction; everyone has seen and knows them, even if only from photos and descriptions on the Internet. But few people know their little secrets, which guides and guidebooks don’t always tell you about.

1. Stonehenge

Now it seems unthinkable, but 100 years ago Stonehenge was sold at auction for 6,600 pounds sterling (today, that's almost half a million pounds, or 777.5 thousand dollars). The buyer was Cecil Chubb, who decided to make an original gift for his wife. But she did not appreciate the monument, so after 3 years it was “re-gifted” to England, and the generous husband was awarded the title of baronet.

2. Sydney Opera House

In 1980, culture gave way to bodybuilding: here half-naked bodybuilders, participants in the global Mr. Olympia competition, paraded in front of an enthusiastic audience. And then 33-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger won for the seventh (and last) time in his career.

3. Tower Bridge

In 1952, it began to get divorced, when a double-decker bus on the regular London route No. 78 was still traveling along it. Driver Albert Ganton was not taken aback - he picked up speed and flew to the other half of the bridge through the meter-wide gap that had formed.

For his courage, Albert was awarded a 10-pound bonus (approximately 250 pounds, or 26,000 rubles in today's money).

4. Hermitage

The Hermitage cats are known in Russia no less than the great exhibits of this St. Petersburg museum, but foreign tourists, as a rule, are hearing about them for the first time. These are full-fledged museum workers - the Life Guards of the Winter Palace, protecting works of art from mice and rats.

Cats are prohibited from roaming the museum halls, but they live and hunt in the dry and warm basement of the palace, which is called the “big cat”. Each of the fifty furry inhabitants of the Hermitage has its own bowl, tray and basket for sleeping, and all are under veterinary supervision. By the way, you can become the owner of a Hermitage cat with the right to free access to local exhibition halls for life.

5. Statue of Liberty

The world-famous “symbol of freedom and democracy” has forever retained the appearance of two real women. It is believed that the face of the statue belongs to the mother of the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and the body to his mistress.

6. Eiffel Tower

When the Nazis occupied France in 1940, Parisians cut the tower's elevator cables, so German soldiers had to climb the structure to hoist the swastika flag of the Third Reich to the top. But gigantomania failed: within a couple of hours the huge banner was blown away by the wind. The soldiers were sent upstairs again, this time with a smaller flag.

And in the summer of 1944, by order of Hitler, the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be blown up, and all of Paris was to be razed to the ground, but, fortunately, the military commandant, German General Dietrich von Choltitz, disobeyed and saved the city by surrendering to the French liberation forces.

7. Taj Mahal

22,000 people and 1,000 elephants worked on the construction of the mausoleum-mosque in Indian Agra; the work took 17 years. Moreover, the padishah Shah Jahan, who ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife, who died during the birth of her 14th child, planned to build another similar mausoleum on the opposite bank of the river - from black marble.

8. Mount Everest

Imagine, " highest peak world" is not actually the most high mountain on Earth, measured from base to peak. Everest is inferior in this sense to the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea (8,848 meters versus 10,203 meters). The difference is that most of volcano is hidden under water. So, in terms of height above sea level, Everest will really be the winner.

Interesting Facts about vacations:

The main guarantee of a good rest (vacation) is a complete change of activity. That is, if you sit in a stuffy office from morning to night, you should combine rest with physical activity. If you've been spinning like a top all year, on vacation you should, on the contrary, slow down and take a horizontal position somewhere under a palm tree.
Scientists have found that people who go without vacation for a long time have even less life expectancy than chronic alcoholics! This illness is called “No Vacation Syndrome.” It is no coincidence that this term appeared in the USA. Judge for yourself, the average vacation in the USA lasts only 10 working days. Moreover, 20% of Americans even refuse this vacation. In the United States, employers are under no obligation to provide paid leave to their employees.
Interesting statistics: in order to get rid of stress, 46% of Russians use TV, 43% use music, 19% use alcohol, 16% eat, 12% play sports and only 2% take a vacation.
Marcello Mastroianni was a great connoisseur of women. He knew everything about them, even what kind of woman you should try to meet on the beach when you came to the resort on vacation. You need to choose the most untanned one, she has the whole vacation ahead of her!
It turns out that men flirt more than women during vacation! However, the flirting techniques used by women are much more masterly and effective. For example: dancing at a disco or provocative behavior on the beach.
According to experts, you should absolutely not take your work cell phone or laptop with you on vacation. Most the best option- go to a place where there is no cell phone reception and it is impossible to connect to the Internet.
Where do the stars of our show business usually spend their holidays? Seasoned Valery Leontyev and Nikolay Baskov prefer to relax in Miami, young Sergey Lazarev and Irakliy Pirtskhalava dote on Dubai (United United Arab Emirates), and singer Vitas loves to spend his holidays in Tibet.
Recently, 60-year-old Athos Bagatin was convicted in Italy. His sentence was: 900 days of paid leave. The union sued him because Bagatin had not taken a vacation for 28 years. As a result, the court decided to punish the workaholic with a vacation.
Aphorism: “If you want to return from vacation later, warn your boss. And if earlier, warn your wife.”
A recent survey conducted in England revealed the country where most tourists go on vacation for romantic adventures. Most vacationers prefer Australia for such trips. The least desirable country was Portugal. At the same time, more than half of the respondents believe Italian language in the sexiest language (that is, the ideal option is: Italian in Australia).
Statistics: 20% of all holiday romances last only one night. Half of the romances last more than a week. However, romantics should not lose hope! 4% of holiday romances ultimately lead to lasting unions.
Dmitry Mendeleev discovered the table of chemical elements on the first day of his vacation! Here's how sometimes it's good to relax and get a good night's sleep.
The most famous leave application in history was once written by General Crillon. He sent his king, Henry the Fourth, a short letter: “Sire, three words: money or vacation.” Henry then answered him: “Crillon, four words: neither one nor the other.”
As psychophysiologists have calculated, a person needs 28 days for proper rest. Although such a long break is a real stress for the body: the longer you rest, the more difficult it is to get into a working rhythm.
Finnish employees have the longest vacation in the world: 39 days. Next follow: Sweden and Denmark - 30-35 days; France and Norway - 25 days; Belgium and Great Britain - 20 days. Canadians and Japanese vacation a maximum of 10-14 days a year. Moreover, 60% of Japanese deliberately refuse weekends and only 5% go on vacation. But in Mexico, employers offer their subordinates no more than six days a year for legal rest.
Experts say that now there is a boom in unusual vacations: adventure travel. They become more and more sophisticated, sometimes moving into the category of feats with an increased risk to life. Instead of relaxation - pure adrenaline of our own production.
The risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced by 40% for those who go on vacation at least once a year.
The Norwegian Medical Commission examined the working hours of the country's citizens. After this, the commission recommended that company managers increase the vacation of non-smoking workers by 3 days. Since, according to statistics, smokers spend just about three days a year on smoking breaks.
Norwegian law gives men the right to take 6 weeks of maternity leave! In addition, parents can distribute among themselves the total maternity leave granted to care for the child.
Record: In Sweden, one doctor worked overtime for 24 years, he overworked 10 thousand hours. Now the workaholic doctor is about to take six years off with full pay. Instead, he can receive a cash reward, which will be around 1 million euros.
There is such a strange tradition in Australia. In addition to the usual annual leave, every 15 years, emigrant workers receive additional leave (90 days) to visit their historical homeland - England.
Our teachers and researchers have the longest vacation – 56 days. By the way, in 56 days one American physical education teacher reached the North Pole and became the first woman in the world to make such a difficult journey.
Now it has become fashionable to divide your monthly vacation into two parts - two weeks each. But scientists believe that good rest must last at least three weeks. But a week-long vacation does not make any sense at all - this time will only be spent on acclimatization and “perestroika”.
The USSR volleyball team of the early 1980s swept away everyone in its path. But suddenly there was almost nothing left of the team, and at the World Championships it suffered a fiasco, since at the same time six volleyball players from the main team went on maternity leave.

Tourism is a strange thing. You fly to a foreign country, leaving the comforts of home, and then spend a lot of money and time on fruitless attempts to get the very comforts that you would not lose if you stayed at home.

April 28, 2001 former employee NASA billionaire Denis Tito became the first space tourist in history. Tito paid $20 million for an eight-day "vacation" on the International Space Station. However, the businessman had to overcome many obstacles before he could realize his lifelong dream. NASA considered Tito insufficiently trained, and he had to turn to Russian cosmonauts. But here, too, Tito suffered a setback, since his original destination - the Mir space station - was removed from orbit and sunk in the World Ocean. And only then the businessman was able to get a place on the Soyuz TM-32 ship, which delivered cargo to the ISS, and, at the insistence of the American side, he had to take full responsibility for his actions.

Anyone who thinks that female sex tourism arose a few years ago is mistaken. This phenomenon is already “with a beard”. The first wave of feminism, which surged around 1840, was characterized, in particular, by the fact that women began to travel around exotic countries with one, but very original purpose, namely, to indulge in “dangerous relationships” with strangers.

In 1841, the first ever group tour for the poor took place in England. Enthusiast T. Cook came up with the idea of organizing a train trip lasting twenty miles, all participants in this “tour”, having paid only a shilling, received sweet buns and tea along the way. In addition, the train was organized and The cultural program- the brass band played.

In one of the luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, tourists can use the services of a gold vending machine.

Mass tourism in Thailand arose thanks to the Vietnam War, when the country began to play the role of a rear area for American soldiers. Large military bases were located here, as well as recreational facilities for US military personnel on leave.

Japanese farmers invented the new kind an art that has not yet been named - giant paintings of rice sprouts in the fields, which attract tourists in the summer months.

Tourists love to take pieces of ancient structures with them “as souvenirs.” Concerned about the fate of the Parthenon, the Athenian authorities hired special workers who scatter specially brought pieces of marble around the temple at night.

Forbes magazine recognized the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as one of the “super extravagant tourist spots where you can relax and see something that is not found anywhere else in the world.”

One of the ardent supporters of civilized tourism was A. Hitler, who believed that every member of the society he was building was obliged to spend his vacation with maximum benefit. According to the great historical “villain,” tourism could give the Aryans nerves of steel, which would strengthen them in the fight.

Many tourists from Europe and the USA refused to vacation or simply visit Greece, but not Russian tourists. They are not afraid of riots

There is a grave of Harry Potter in one of the cemeteries in Israel. He was a 17-year-old British Army private who died in 1939 in a clash with rebels. Recently, this grave has become the most visited in Israel and was included in the list of local attractions.

In Paris in 1981, the Wine Museum was created in one of the surviving underground galleries. Here you can not only get acquainted with the history and technology of winemaking, but also try the most popular varieties of French wines - a special tasting program is provided after visiting the museum.

Of the twenty largest hotels in the United States, seventeen are located in Las Vegas.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the children of the richest European elite expressed their protest against the bourgeois environment in which they grew up in a very unique way. They went on long trips hiking with the harshest conditions. These trips served both as a method of hardening and as a method of self-expression. This movement was called “wandering students.”

British hotel chain Travelodge has published a list of the most unusual items found in hotels in 2011. Vacationers often forget something in hotel rooms, and sometimes it turns out to be not only clothes, phones or cosmetics, but much more unusual things. The maid was probably surprised when she found hotel room V English city Nuneaton full set of Christmas paraphernalia including Christmas tree, Father Christmas costume and leftover Christmas menu. The couple decided to celebrate Christmas and spent 2 nights here, creating a real Christmas atmosphere in the hotel room, including a banquet and gifts.

The most amazing thing was found in a hotel room in Peterborough, England. A man forgot an urn containing the ashes of his dead wife! The gentleman was heading to the place where they had spent their vacation together - there he wanted to scatter his wife’s ashes. In the morning, he left the hotel in a hurry to avoid rush hour and left the trash can on the windowsill. An hour later he came to his senses and returned.

In Winchester Sutton Scotney, a couple were in such a rush to get to their wedding on time that they forgot their 18-month-old baby. Each parent thought the other had put the baby in the booster seat. When they noticed that the child was missing, they immediately returned.

To the most amazing forgotten things Also included is a 91cm fake Olympic torch, keys to a Ferrari 458 Italia, a magician's magic box, a 1.2m stuffed parrot, a Vera Wang wedding dress and a suitcase full of Marvel comics

If a foreign passport has an Israeli visa, this person will not be able to visit Muslim countries: Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Sudan. Moreover, even if the passport contains a valid visa of a given state.

In Russia, the first excursions and hikes were the initiative of the Decembrists, who were involved in the education of children. They set off with their charges on a journey through the surrounding region in search of interesting plants and animals.

Tourists often confuse Austria with Australia - which is why the slogan “There are no kangaroos in Austria” is very popular in Austria, applied to street signs and souvenirs. However, this confusion also arises high level. Once at a UN meeting, Austria put forward its candidacy for elections to the Security Council. One of the votes was cast in favor of Australia, although it was not on the list of candidates at all. And former US President George W. Bush thanked the Australian prime minister in 2007 for visiting his “Austrian” contingent in Iraq.

English adventurer David Hempleman-Adams was the first person to complete the Great Adventure Throw, a grueling challenge that involved conquering the highest mountain peaks of each continent and visiting all four poles. Hempleman-Adams began his "Throw" in 1980 by conquering Mount McKinley in Alaska (USA). He ended the venture 18 years later, after he and fellow adventurer Run Geldnes trekked to the North Pole (March to May 1998).

If your family loves leisure, then you, of course, will not refuse a trip to nature. Regardless of where exactly you are going - to the lake, to the forest or to the mountains, you will discover a lot of new interesting things.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with a few facts about outdoor recreation. Which of them did you know before?

Crickets can detect temperature

In order to determine how cold it is outside the window, you don’t have to buy expensive gadgets. In spring and summer, all you need to do is listen to the chirping of crickets.

Just count the number of sounds you hear in 14 seconds, add 40 to that number and get the air temperature in Fahrenheit.

Lyme disease is no joke

With Lyme disease, a person experiences unpleasant symptoms that do not appear immediately. This disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected Ixodid tick. Under no circumstances should the disease be ignored or left untreated.

In order for a tick to infect a person, it needs to be attached to the body for up to 36 hours. Every time you return from an outdoor vacation, carefully check yourself and your loved ones for tick bites. If you find it, you should consult a doctor.

Appearances are deceptive

Often, while relaxing in nature, you can meet its inhabitants. Many of them look very cute, but to be safe, do not underestimate them.

For example, raccoons are very cute creatures that, moreover, are capable of purring just like cats, but you should not approach them in the wild. Do not forget that despite their harmless appearance, they are not tame animals.

Raccoons can steal your food and, in some cases, even carry diseases. In order to protect yourself from an unpleasant encounter, it is better to hide food and not leave trash open.

Outdoor recreation is your salvation

Many people believe that being active outdoors is good for your health. This is true, but it can also improve your emotional state and lift your mood.

During rest and simple stay in nature, the body receives much large quantity oxygen, serotonin and melanin than indoors, which is why stress levels are noticeably reduced. In addition, it is not easy to remain serious and depressed for a long time when you are relaxing in a pleasant environment in the fresh air.

Outdoor recreation is the best thing we can provide to our body, mind and soul.

Beware of insects

In addition to crickets, there are a huge number of different types of insects that live in nature, which can turn your vacation into a real challenge. Despite the fact that many of them do not pose a danger, being close to them can cause discomfort.

To protect yourself from these annoying little creatures, use insect repellent sprays and wear light-colored, calm clothing - mosquitoes and midges are clearly visible on them, and it will be easier for you to find them and get rid of them.

Don't forget to rest

If you like long hikes with tents, remember not to exhaust yourself. Stop when you feel tired. Sleep is very important in order to replenish lost energy, because without it you will not be able to continue your journey.

To sleep peacefully and comfortably, choose tents that suit the season and don’t forget to bring a pillow.

What can you eat

Eating at least a few times a day is very important, which is why you can take a variety of nuts, bars, jerky or soup and canned beans with you on your hike.

These products are stored for a long time and will perfectly replenish your energy supply for a long time.

Be careful with fire

As children, we were all taught not to play with matches—we should be guided by this during hikes and outdoor recreation. important advice. Fire lights our way and warms us on long cold nights, but we should be extremely careful.

Before starting a fire, make sure that there is water or any other means of fighting the fire within walking distance. Use it immediately if the fire gets out of control.

Manage your finances correctly

Try to spend money on things you really need – don’t skimp on a tent, food, clothing or equipment. Be sure to buy a flashlight and stock up on quality and nutritious food.

If your budget allows, purchase various little things that you think you might need.

How to dress

The best option is to wear several layers. If it’s cool outside or the weather is changeable, you shouldn’t wear one warm thing.

It would be much more advisable to wear something light, a warmer thing on top, and so on, so that if it warms up, one of the resulting layers can be removed.

Don't rely on yourself

Even if you think that you are perfectly oriented by natural markers and surroundings, you should not be overconfident. It’s worth being on the safe side, as anything can happen.

A compass or map in your backpack will not take up much space, but will never be superfluous.

Things to do

Many people in modern world depend on gadgets and cannot imagine life without them. However, you can have a useful and fun time without them.

On a hike or while relaxing in the fresh air, you can find a lot of interesting activities, such as fishing, hiking, photography, bird and animal watching. This is what makes our life truly beautiful and fills it with bright colors.

Vacationing with children - remember a few simple rules

You shouldn’t take your children on long hikes right away – start small. Arrange a short trip where you teach children how to set up a tent, cook food and navigate the area.

You can choose several interesting games to entertain children on a hike or on a walk, because a game is The best way instill in your child an interest and love for anything.

It would also be a good idea to explain to your children how important it is to pick up trash after yourself, put out the fire, and leave the chosen place in the same clean condition as before you arrived.

We all love to travel, but not all of us find the time or finances for it. But the facts below will help you change your mind about your vacation and find time to travel regularly.

The pilot and assistant pilot must eat different foods. It sounds quite strange, but on the other hand, if you know the reason, then everything is clear. There are only 2 pilots on the plane, and if one of them becomes ill after eating, the second one must replace him. In short, so as not to get food poisoning at the same time.
Theoretically, the chances of getting into a plane crash are very small. On average, for every American, the risk of suffering a plane crash is only 1 in 11 million. Whereas for car owners this chance is 1 in 5 million.
Everest (Chomolungma) is still growing. Yes, yes, the mountain continues to grow. Now its height is about 8850 meters. But every year it grows by another 4 mm, approximately. This is due to the movement of tectonic platforms.
Mexico City (the capital of Mexico) is sinking at 10 cm per year. Due to the fact that the city is based on “fragile” land surrounded by waters. And construction regularly puts pressure on the city's land. By the way, Mexico City is sinking 10 times faster than Venice.
Every year, airlines earn more than 640 billion dollars. By the way, there are only 600 companies in the United States, and they bring profit to their owners in the amount of 175 billion dollars. It turns out that ¼ of all global profits.
The same food tastes different on the plane and on the ground. When the plane gains altitude, the taste buds change by about a third. This is why many passengers order bloody marys; tomato juice then it doesn't seem so sour. Because of this, many airlines add salt and various spices to their menus.
American Airlines once cut its costs by $40,000 by removing just one olive from its salad. In 1980, Robert Crandall, later the head of the company, removed one olive, which ultimately saved such a large amount.
In 2003, a Boeing 727 disappeared and has not been found since. On May 25, 2003, the plane disappeared forever in flight. And to this day no one knows what happened to him. The pilot's sister says the plane crashed somewhere in Africa, in the heights.
In the United States, one in eight jobs is related to travel and tourism. This is not difficult to imagine, given the fact that there are as many as 600 airlines located there.
When you take a vacation, it reduces your risk of heart attack. According to studies, people on vacation have fewer heart attacks than those who are not on vacation.
The white streak that a plane leaves behind in the sky can be used to predict the weather. By the thickness of this line you can determine whether the air humidity is high or low. A very thick line could mean a storm is approaching.
There are special trophies that are given to pilots for very funny mistakes. There is a special museum in the USA that gave out awards to really funny pilots. So the nominees were: the pilot who hit the parked plane; a pilot who took off without checking the tank, and it was almost empty.
Money spent on travel makes people happier than money spent on material goods. It is because of this that heart attacks happen to those who travel less often.
After the first day of travel, people's stress drops by 89%. While traveling, you forget about all your problems and your stress level decreases significantly.
Travel is used in the treatment of depression. Psychologists use this method of treatment with patients suffering from depression.
Couples who travel together report increased intimacy. Traveling brings people together and revives feelings for each other.
Mercury on a plane is not good. Most aircraft are made using aluminum and it will be in your best interest not to spill mercury on board.
You won't be able to open the door of a plane while it's in the air. Even if you manage to do this, you don't have to worry about everyone falling through the door (as we often see in movies). When the plane is at the top, the doors are made in such a way that air presses against them, and they are absolutely safe. Even several very strong people will not be able to open the door of an airplane.
The United States is the only country in the world where there is no person entitled to paid vacation or holiday.
Austrians are the most socially protected country in terms of recreation. The country guarantees every worker at least 22 paid vacation days and 13 paid holiday days every year.
When you travel, you become more creative. According to research, people who travel regularly can find more creative approaches to solving a given problem.
Those who travel become smarter. Everything is simple here, as with books, the more you read, the more you learn. Visual memory works the same way and you will learn a lot of new things during your holidays.
The most popular country for tourists this is France. It is not difficult to understand that the most popular place in this country is Paris.
The most popular city In the world among tourists is Bangkok. This data is according to 2013.
A commercial airplane averages 550-580 mph. During takeoff, the speed reaches 160-180 mph. And during landing - 150-160 mph.
The busiest airport in the world is international Airport Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, USA. 95.5 million passengers and 930 thousand flights are carried out at this airport every year. Is it true new airport Dubai will accommodate up to 160 million passengers, but it is not yet in great demand.
The only place in the United States where there is a royal palace is the capital of Hawaii - Honolulu. Very a nice place in the Pacific Ocean.
Russia produces the largest amount of oxygen.
France has the largest number of time zones. Already 12.
Canada has the largest number of lakes. There are about 3 million lakes in this country. But this is not very strange, because most of the country is not densely populated.
Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world. Only 4 people per square kilometer.
Niger has the youngest nation. This African country has the youngest population in the world by average.
The most densely populated country in the world is India. IN this moment has more than one and a half billion people.
The Principality of Monaco is smaller than Central Park New York.
The most multilingual country is Papua New Guinea.
The most intelligent country is Canada. Here, more than 50% of the population has higher education.
There are currently 61,000 people above the US skies. This is the average number of passengers on any day, at any time.