Arthur Frommer died on Monday at his home in New York City from complications of pneumonia. NEW YORK – Arthur Frommer, the travel writer who turned his guidebooks into a global brand serving millions of budget-conscious tourists before the internet ravaged the print industry, has died. Frommer died on Monday at his home in New York City from complications of pneumonia, according to the New York Times, who cited his stepdaughter Tracie Holder.
He was 95. The former US Army soldier, whose business began with The G.I.
’s Guide To Travelling In Europe at US 50 cents apiece in the mid-1950s, became a household name for any vacationer seeking an affordable trip abroad. His namesake series expanded to include about 350 titles selling 2.5 million guides each year, according to a company statement in 2010.
“This is a book for American tourists who a) own no oil wells in Texas b) are unrelated to the Aga Khan c) have never struck it rich in Las Vegas and who still want to enjoy a wonderful European vacation,” Frommer wrote in Europe On 5 Dollars A Day in 1957. Five decades later, inflation had updated that title to Europe From $95 A Day, but the search for a more authentic alternative to luxury travel continued, with competitors such as Lonely Planet and Let’s Go flourishing. Even after he sold the rights to his business, Frommer wrote newspaper columns, hosted a radio show and posted a daily blog with the latest travel tips.
“I have always felt that the less you spend, the .