The travel world lost its greatest champion of real wanderlust this month. Arthur Frommer, who’s checked out at 95, might not be a household name here at the bottom end of Africa, but trust me – his fingerprints are all over your next holiday booking.
In 1957, when overseas travel was strictly for the champagne set, Frommer wrote “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day.” It was a declaration that travel shouldn’t just be for those with private jets and trust funds.
The best thing about Frommer wasn’t his budget tips (though they were handy). It was his unwavering belief that the best travel happens when you get out of your comfort zone and into the real life of a place. He basically gave us permission to ditch the tour buses and fancy hotel lobbies.
These days, we think nothing of booking a family-run pension in Greece or hunting down the best street food in Bangkok. We’ve got the confidence to explore Istanbul’s back streets or find that perfect local wine bar in Rome. That’s Frommer’s influence right there – this idea that authentic travel beats packaged experiences every time.
Mind you, he’d probably have a good laugh at today’s ‘influencers’ posed in identical spots at infinity pools around the world. He was more interested in the story you’d tell over dinner than the one you’d post on Instagram.
What makes his passing worth noting is how much we need his philosophy right now. In an age where travel often feels like a competitive sport, his message is refreshing: the point isn’t to tick off sites or snap perfect photos – it’s to understand a place and its people.
The $5 a day is long gone (wouldn’t that be nice?), but his core belief stands: whether you’re booking a luxury hotel or a backpackers’, real travel is about getting under the skin of a place. No one ever came home with their best travel story starting with “So I never left the resort…”
Next time you’re planning a trip, pour a glass for old Arthur. He’s the reason we know that the best travel memories often happen when we step off the well-worn trail, and just see where the day takes us.
Cheers, Mr Frommer. You made us all better travellers.
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