American travel writer and creator of the Frommer's brand of travel guides Arthur Frommer has passed away at the age of 95. He reportedly died of complications related to pneumonia at his home on November 18, 2024. Frommer lived in Manhattan's highly sought-after Upper West Side neighborhood, which is bounded by Central Park on the east and the Hudson River on the west.
While serving in the US Army during the Korean War, Frommer was inspired to write his first guidebook for his fellow soldiers. He actually served in Germany during that conflict and not Korea, leading to him creating his first guidebook focused on that country. That was in 1955. He likely didn't know it at the time but developing that guidebook was the beginning of a lifelong career that would help redefine the art of travel writing if not the overall world of travel itself.
Frommer's first mainstream guidebook released to the public showed readers how to enjoy Europe for five dollars a day. Please keep in mind that this was in 1957, so traveling throughout Europe with that small amount of money was actually possible and not a complete pipe dream. He would practice law while building his publishing and travel empire over the next few years. That included building four hotels under the Arthur Frommer brand in Copenhagen, Aruba, Curacao, and Amsterdam.
In 1997, Frommer changed the game again when he partnered with IDG to create Frommers.com, one of the first major travel sites on the internet. Frommers travel guides have continued to be bestsellers with more than 75 million copies sold around the world. In addition to his impact on publishing and the internet, Arthur Frommer was well known for pushing alternative travel options that were both budget-friendly and environmentally friendly, not to mention adventure-friendly.