On holiday: Hill station to ‘coolcation’

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Housekeeping note: In the best traditions of August, we’re on holiday and will be back with fresh content in a few weeks.

The Big Story:

The summer holiday is changing to a search for ‘coolcations’, but this is not all that new. Remember the earlier colonial era of hill stations?

Today it’s climate change rather than imperialism that is driving people to vacation in cooler places.

• Successive waves of extreme heat are pushing travellers towards cooler climes in Europe.
• In the 19th century, European colonialists in south and southeast Asia and Africa, headed for highland resorts to escape the heat and dust of the plains.

This Week’s Books:

• An anthropologist explains the creation of the modern tourism industry.
• Stories from a cool holiday spot in colonial India.

Click here to read on about the books and the back story