Thomas Cook celebrates its 175th anniversary this month, but a new book warns that package holiday companies face a battle to survive as people flock to online booking sites to arrange their annual holiday or short break.

Let’s Go - a History of Package Holidays and Escorted Tours looks at how package holidays started in the 1950s, and relates how Thomas Cook organised his first excursion in 1841 and his first European tour in 1855.

Author Dave Richardson - a freelance journalist and specialist in the travel business for over 40 years - says people don’t realise how their money and security can be at risk on do-it-yourself holidays.

“Thomas Cook is the best-known name in travel anywhere in the world, and it´s fantastic to see it celebrating 175 years,” he says. “But tour operators are under increasing threat as people go online to book low-cost flights and accommodation through providers such as Airbnb.

“But who’s going to look after you when things go wrong? You could lose your money if an airline goes bust, and if you’re stuck abroad after a major incident then you really are on your own. Look what happened last year after the terrorist attack in Tunisia, and when all flights were stopped to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt after a bomb brought down a plane. Tour operators did everything they could to bring people home safely, but people on DIY holidays were often stranded.”

Another tour operator - Anatolian Sky - went out of business this week, as a result of terror attacks in Turkey, its main destination. But when this happens to a fully licensed tour operator the disruption faced by holidaymakers is minimal, and no-one loses their money.

“Whenever a tour operator disappears, a lot of expertise goes with it,” says Dave. “Unless people recognise the value of tour operators then we are heading towards a future where everyone goes for the lowest price online without thinking of the risks. But terrorism is one reason why some people are going back to package holidays, as tour operators’ record in protecting the public is second to none.”

The story of how we got into the package tour habit is a fascinating one. It’s not just about places and people and how we got there, but also about us, as the holidays we take reflect the people we are, or aspire to be. Featuring anecdotes, word-of-mouth accounts from the people who made it happen and archive images, Let’s Go is a rollercoaster ride through decades of travel history as people’s holiday aspirations changed from Blackpool to Benidorm and from Benidorm to Bali.

Let’s Go is the most comprehensive and authoritative book ever written about the UK travel business.