vintage travel ads

These Vintage Travel Ads Are a Blast From the Past

Nothing can capture the imagination like travel ads. Since the dawn of the modern tourism industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tourism bureaus, ad men and airlines have sought to make far-away places feel like places people absolutely need to see before they die.

Other businesses, like hotels and railways, had to make themselves more appealing than the competition and fought for those travel dollars through ads. Sometimes those ads were incredible works of art that did everything they set out to do. Other times, not so much. 

These vintage travel ads will take you back in time. Whether you want to be there is another question entirely.

Mexican Tourism Department, 1945

This might look like a somewhat racist way that white people from the 1940s viewed Mexico, and maybe it is.

But it was also how Mexicans thought white people viewed Mexico, so it was the country's tourism department that drew up this picture of a cactus wearing a sombrero and holding a guitar.

United, 1965

United wanted everyone to know it took the quality of its cuisine seriously, paying "top prices for steak" and employing "European-trained chefs."

Today, United's meals typically consist of a cold-cut sandwich and candy, for an additional fee.

Where'd that "extra care" go?

Days Inn, 1984

Imagine going into a motel and seeing those hideous bedsheets and a dented Cabbage Patch doll that is giving you WTF hands for interrupting its coloring book session. 

That's what it was like to stay at a Days Inn in the 1980s, apparently.

And this was a selling point!

White Star Line, 1912

This famous ad is for the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. We all know how that one ends. 

White Star Line was a British shipping and transportation company that was still in operation for 22 years after the Titanic disaster of 1912.

It finally went defunct in 1934 after being merged with Cunard Line, which is now part of Carnival Corporation.

London Underground, 1924

Want to go somewhere in London, England, "where it is warm and bright"? Then you'll have to scurry like rats from the misty, foggy streets of the city to the London Underground subways, which has stuff like light and heat. 

It's an odd kind of travel ad, but at least visitors to London in 1924 will have known to look out for glowing Underground signs if they started to freeze to death. 

Econo Lodge, 1978

Indeed, it doesn't compute that you could get a hotel with a double bed, TV and AC for less than 13 bucks a night. 

Today, the best deal you can get at an Econo Lodge is in the $100 range. 

Continental Airlines, 1967

"The pride our people have in their airline is almost patriotic!" Continental Airlines crowed in this ad. And for many years, this pride made Continental a major player in the airline biz.

But in 2012, it went the way of so many airlines when it was snapped up by another company, United, in a $3 billion deal.

Today, the four biggest airlines — American, Delta, United, and Southwest — control about 80 percent of total domestic passenger traffic, a monopolization that many have blamed for declining customer satisfaction. Only health-insurance companies and internet service providers are less popular than airlines. Yikes.

National Airlines, 1971

Like Continental, National Airlines once reigned supreme in the skies. In the 1970s, it was one of only three airlines (along with TWA and Pan Am) to fly from the U.S. to Europe. It was acquired in 1980 by Pan Am, which itself went belly up in 1991.

Like many airlines back in the day, National was the site of frequent attempted hijackings: a total of 22 between 1961 and 1980.

This ad, funnily enough, does not mention this fact. 

U.S. Travel Bureau

Between 1937 and 1943, the U.S. Travel Bureau promoted tourism to the U.S. via film, print, radio advertising and exhibits at places like the New York World's Fair. It was signed into legislation to give it statutory footing in 1940. 

Interestingly, the bureau participated in the production of "The Negro Motorist Green Book," a travel guide that listed places in the South friendly to Black travelers — as featured in the Academy Award-winning film "The Green Book."

World War II was the bureau's downfall, and the U.S. lacked anything like it until 2009, when new legislation created the Corporation for Travel Promotion into law. 

Works Progress Administration, 1940

The New Deal's Works Progress Administration employed millions of people and helped revitalize a post-Great Recession economy. 

Part of the WPA was its Federal Art Project, which employed thousands of artists, employing them to create various pieces of art, music, theater and various Americana. 

One of those artists was Katherine Milhous, who created posters like this one to promote Pennsylvania. This one is pretty quaint and to the point: There are Quakers in Pennsylvania. Come visit?

Works Progress Administration. 1936-1940

This one, however, is a bit of a hard sell. 

Want to come to rural Pennsylvania? There's stuff like ... costumes! Fish! Plows! Ceramics!

And don't forget the towns! What kind of towns? Just towns.

Come see the towns. 

New York World's Fair, 1964

Financially speaking, the 1964-65 World's Fair in Queens was a disaster. The city lost million of dollars on the event.

But looking back, it still sounds pretty impressive. About 51 million people showed up to explore a NASA-sponsored Space Park and quirky state exhibits (Florida brought a dolphin show).

This fair is also where a little ride known as "It's a Small World" made its debut before moving to Disneyland.

TWA had some really great advertisements back in the day. 

This one is straight to the point with why you should visit Egypt.

It has pyramids, the Sphinx, and camels with a damn fine fashion sense. 

Braniff International Airways, 1960s

There's something simple, cool and effective about this poster from Braniff International Airways that advertises a trip to Miami. 

We don't know who made this piece, only that it was created in the 1960s . 

Braniff went under in 1982 due to high gas prices and more competition brought on by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, having accumulated a net loss of $377 millions between 1979 and 1982. Some 8,500 employees were laid off . 

Havana Lithographing Company, 1938

Prior to 1691, Cuba was a major tourist destination for Americans. Posters like this can tell us why — the place looked really cool with daily horse racing, dancing and dining at grand casinos. And of course there's a Cuban woman front and center. 

Trans World Airlines, 1953

This ad from 1953 is refreshingly nonsexist, and for good reason. Airlines like Trans World Airlines would be stupid not to try and attract female customers (Black customers? Not so much ).

This ad promotes that a woman well-travelled (via airplane) is more worldly and with "broader horizons." The ad cleverly mentions that in the air, she will enjoy "service that befits a queen" and people will wait on her. 

Virgin, 1980s

Not long after World War II ended, Winston Churchill left Britain for a vacation in Miami .

This ad from Virgin Airlines insinuates that had Virgin been around in the 1940s, he would have chosen them to take his post-WWII victory vacation. 

Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Board, 1963

This Trinidad and Tobago vacation ad paints two pictures: one of exotic, fire-dodging limbo dancers and another of a white couple casually relaxing on the beach (with the disgusting decision to wear knee-high socks and sandals, no less). 

It's basically saying, come look at the locals in Trinidad with their "creative urge and throbbing vitality" (what?) and then go do white people stuff like golfing and sailing at Tobago. 

New York Central System, 1939

This advertisement for the 20th Century Limited is one of the greatest art deco posters ever made. 

In the summer of 1938, the New York Central Railroad unveiled the 20th Century Limited , an express streamliner passenger train.

The machine cost $6,162,000 to make — about $114 million today — and could travel from New York City to Chicago in 16 hours, 30 minutes faster than the older 20th Century Limited trains. 

Western Airlines, 1970s

This poster is a very cool ad for Hawaii from Western Airlines. The artists are unknown, and it's believed to have been created in the 1970s.

Western Airlines was founded in 1925 and ceased its operations in 1987 after it merged with Delta. 

Northern Pacific Railway, 1920s

The invention of the railroad brought a sense of adventure to the country, which was becoming more interconnected and traversable than ever before.

The railroad was vital to the development of the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern Pacific Railway advertised the region by linking it back to Lewis and Clark for that explorer feel. 

U.S. Department of the Interior, 1938

The National Park Service was created in 1916, and the Grand Canyon was made into a national park in 1919. 

Of course, the government wanted to show its people what Manifest Destiny had wrought them, so they made posters like these. 

Unfortunately, not everyone likes national parks . 

Japan Tourist Bureau, 1930s

The Japan Tourist Bureau (a non-commercial organization) out of New York City ran this ad, which promoted Japan as "the land of ceremony," with a tea ceremony as its central focus.

But it's also quick to point out that Japan has modern services as well, like fast trains, big buildings and even baseball. 

Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei 1936

Looking at this ad today, it conjures images of the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. This poster was made the year prior, by artist Jupp Wiertz for the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei, a German company that operated zeppelin flights. It was also the same company that owned the Hindenburg.

Fun fact: The  Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei still operates today. It was revived in 2001 and operates commercial passenger zeppelin flights, although not transatlantic ones. 

Australian National Travel Association, 1938

"No other land contains such oddities of feather and fur" is a pretty dang good slogan for Australia, which hosts some of the most dangerous animals in the world . 

The ad is terrible at predicting the future, though. The copy invites readers to a place "far from war-troubled zones," although Australia entered World War II on Sept. 3, 1939, about a year after this ad was produced. 

'Meeding d'Aviation Nice' 1910

This poster from 1910 is an invitation for pilots and spectators to come to an air show in Nice, France.

It's one of the most celebrated ads of the early 20th century because it utterly captures the imagination (and danger) of early flight.

The plane shown here is believed to be an Esnault-Pelterie R.E.P. 1. An original print recently sold for $16,250 .

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1930s

There are so many movies of such varying quality that a film's production company is practically meaningless now. But in the 1930s, studios like MGM, Paramount and Universal were known for having their own stars — Paramount, for example, had Bing Crosby on its A-list. 

MGM was the only Hollywood studio that turned a profit every year during the Great Depression . It also was (and still is) recognizable for its use of the roaring lion, a point they were sure to use in their marketing material. 

Another piece by David Klein is an abstract work depicting the bright, shining lights of New York City. 

One of these prints sold for over $8,800 at a Christie's auction.  

South Shore Line, 1926

South Shore Line is an electrically powered train system that operates between downtown Chicago and South Bend, Indiana. It also was a good way to see some good, old-fashioned football, when men wore thinly padded helmets and were probably concussed for the majority of the game. 

The South Shore Line is still in operation and is one of the few interurban trains still running in the United States. 

Trans World Airlines, 1960s-1970s

David Klein made some absolutely stunning posters for TWA, and this one for New York is no exception.

There's a steamboat ferry, the Empire State Building, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Brooklyn Bridge and the giant, all-watching, all-seeing head of the Statue of Liberty watching on in the background. 

Vintage Travel Posters

Vintage Travel Posters and WPA Travel Posters from around the world. Featuring  vintage travel posters from Europe, South America, the American West and the WPA. Our vintage travel posters are printed on museum-quality paper and make a fine addition to the home or board room. WPA travel posters evoke classic 1940s American design. At a time when many Americans were ready to set out for adventures in their cars, vintage WPA travel posters helped fuel the imagination.

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Vintage Travel Posters, Framed Prints, Canvases & Wall Art

Take a trip around the world – and back in time – with retro travel posters. The vintage travel posters in this collection feature popular U.S. travel destinations, as well as beautiful destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa and beyond. Best of all, this retro travel art showcases the stunning hand-drawn promotional poster style popularized in the early- to mid-1900s. Take a cruise to the Great Lakes, fly Japan Airways or hike through Grand Teton National Park without ever leaving home with this travel art. Shop by Category to Find Your Vintage Travel Poster You can use our browsing filters to narrow down our large selection of travel retro posters. Search by destination, with choices like European Travel Ads (which can be narrowed down further by country) or Oceanic Travel Ads . You can also shop by travel company, including a number of cruise lines , airlines and more. Wherever you like to go and however you like to get there, you’ll find poster travel art that reflects it. Vintage Posters for Sale at Great Prices These vintage travel posters are printed to our high quality standards, yet they are affordably priced. You can stock up on several for your travel agency, or for any home or office. Cover your walls with scenes of sandy beaches, exotic cities or whatever imagery makes you happy. A framed poster for travel also makes a thoughtful gift for a special jetsetter in your life. And since you’re at AllPosters.com, you’ll also find tons of other poster categories, from TV show posters to fine art posters and everything in between. Show more

Matterhorn Travel Poster by Francois Gos

Poster advertising trans world airlines flights to egypt, c.1967, fort lauderdale, florida, rome italy tourism travel vintage ad, clearwater beach, palm beach aero, pan am - paris, cruise the great lakes canadian pacific, grandprix automobile monaco 1933, muir woods national monument, california - pathway, adirondack mountains, lake placid, railroad poster, the lindbergh line, san francisco, california, grand teton national park - moose and mountains, lake michigan - sunset on beach, new orleans - jazz trumpet player - united air lines, miami beach, florida, go by train, vintage travel japan, vintage travel to spain, chemins de fer de la gruyere 1906, poster advertising skiing holidays in the province of quebec, c.1938, lake como italy 2, spring flowers, yellowstone national park, travel poster for amalfi, grand canyon national park - mather point, chicago illinois - retro skyline (no text) - lantern press original poster, zermatt, c.1900, scandinavian airlines chile, gaucho guitar, c.1951, great smoky mountains national park - bear and spring flowers, travel poster for rome, japan air transport, nagoya castle, biplane clipper, imperial airways, zion national park, c.1938, banff, alberta, canada - overview of the banff springs hotel poster, mount rushmore national memorial, south dakota - sunset view, the amazon, antilles, and north america: hamburg-amerika cruise line, santorini, greece - view from oia retro style, nashville, tennessee - skyline at night, old faithful inn, yellowstone national park, wyoming, las vegas, nevada, travel poster for sorrento, western air express, san diego, california - ocean beach, cuba and american jockey, marseille-algiers cruise line, "argentina" vintage travel poster, international airways, travel 0192, travel ship 0123, wengen, switzerland - the downhill club promotional poster, arlberg tirol, sunshine and surf australia, travel sports 029, visit india, great barrier coral reef c.1933, caribbean by clipper.

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52 Vintage Travel Ads to Inspire Your Bucket List ...

As much as I love looking at high res travel photos, I find vintage travel ads just as inspiring. Eye-catching posters were used long before travel brochures and photo websites to entice tourists to fabulous destinations all over the world. Produced by some of the best graphic artists and designers of the day, these vintage travel ads are works of art in their own right.

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Pan American Airlines

All wave to the people up top.

New Jersey Shore

This reminds me of my childhood holidays in Cornwall.

London Calling

A classic image for a classic city.

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Loving how the train engine is cheese colored.

This one doesn't seem that "Australian" to me!

A classic depiction of Diamond Head

Don't you find it interesting that the 1950's stylisation of a jet airplane looks uncannily like a space shuttle?

Venice,Italy

Not much has changed in Venice in many decades.

Probably one of the most unrealistic vintage travel ads out there. Denmark is a fabulous country but that picture is not representative.

Canine Travel

I wonder if when they designed this they would have ever imagined dog passports and dogs traveling by airplane.

Palm Springs, USA

Check out how much jewelry this gorgeous beach babe is wearing.

From the days when American tourists had a love affair with Haiti. Haiti was once the most popular destination in the Caribbean.

United Airlines

Can you imagine that leg room and space on an airplane today/

Even in black and white Australia is enticing.

San Francisco, USA

Who could resist that ocean?

Veracruz, Mexico

What a riot of color.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA

The elk is a magnificent specimen isn't he?

Michigan, USA

What family could resist the promise of so much fun?

Remember those days you didn't have to pay extra for airline food?

Can you imagine a poster for Disney these days being so muted and understated?

Brittany, France

So stylish, so simple, so French!

Switzerland

The Land of the Alps. Says it all doesn't it.

How they used to advertise Machu Picchu

Union Pacific Railways

Fashionable ladies take the train!

Leningrad,Russia

Am loving the use of Soviet gray to promote one of the great Russian cities.

This charming picture would certainly induce me to book a trip to Hawaii.

Fancy a trip to the Emerald Isle?

Montana, USA

What a great depiction of Montana.

The essence of Brittany.

The Philippines

These days we're more likely to be seduced by the white sand beaches of Boracay.

How cool is it that they featured women fishing in the Gallatin River rather than men?

So simple, so effective, so bang on point.

Chamonix-Mont. Blanc, France

All year round advertising on one travel poster.

Chicago, USA

A fountain as the focal point promises dramatic sighs on the streets of the Windy City.

Hyderabad, India

Is it my imagination or is that Doctor Who's TARDIS in the bottom left?

New York, USA

A timeless message that never changes.

Tokyo, Japan

Minimalist yet effective - the essence of Japan.

Naples, Italy

Travel by bus to see the best the US has to offer.

Sultry Spanish ladies still beckon you to sample the charms of the Iberian Peninsula.

Rome, Italy

I think this couild be any ancient city in Mediterranean Europe.

A stylized skyline that is instantly recognizable as Europe.

Colorado,USA

It's good to be reminded of all these once famous airlines that no longer exist.

The Blue Mountains, Australia

The message couldn't be more clear.

Minnesota Lakes,USA

Whatever the product beautiful women have always been at the heart of advertising.

This is one of the vintage travel ads that truly displays the classic art deco design.

Hangon Merikylpyla,Finland

Travel posters are also a great source of he fashions of the day.

The Titanic

Via Vintage Travel Posters We Want ...

Now you know what enticed all those passengers on board the greatest ocean-going liner the world had ever seen.

Are you loving these posters? Do you have a favorite?

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Love this step back in time!

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Embracing the Allure of Retro Travel Posters

• BY Bogdan Sandu
• 19 August 2023

Travel unfolds on canvas when  retro travel posters  leap off the wall, whisking you to a bygone era where Pan Am ruled the skies and Art Deco lined the streets. It’s more than art; it’s a hushed call to wander, a window to the  Golden Age of Travel .

These timeless pieces encapsulate moments when travel was an elegant affair, cities like New York or Paris were distant dreams, and the allure of exploration was depicted in bold, saturated hues.

So, why does this matter to you? Simple. These classics are making a resounding comeback, not just as decoration but as cultural artifacts embodying the spirit of their age.

You’re in the right place to explore the resurgence of nostalgia marketing and discover how interwar travel ads or WPA-style national park posters could be the missing piece in your web design projects.

You’ll walk away from this read with insights into leveraging this iconic  vintage travel art —whether it’s for enhancing home decor trends or curating a space with a story.

Dive deep into a world where every print from TWA or Canadian Pacific sparks a tale of heritage and wanderlust.

Retro Travel Posters To Check Out

Retro travel posters.

How do collectors preserve vintage travel posters?

It’s all about protection—from moisture, sunlight, the works. Archival framing’s the go-to: UV-protective glass, acid-free mats. Some folks go the  poster restoration  route to bring aged beauties back to life. Our  heritage travel art  deserves no less, wouldn’t you agree?

What impact do retro travel posters have on the travel industry today?

They’re like the  WPA travel posters  of our digital age—evoking wanderlust, enticing travelers to destinations with an allure of heritage. They inspire the imagery of today’s travel brochures and websites, infusing the industry with a style that sells not just a trip, but an experience.

Transport back in time, eh? We’ve rolled through lanes drenched in the nostalgia of  retro travel posters , tracing their journey from  Art Deco  dazzle to  Art Nouveau  elegance. It’s been quite the ride, like skimming through pages of a passport filled with  vintage travel art .

So, let’s nail it down:

• Specks of history, check.
• A peek into collectors’ zeal, double-check.
• Knowing where to score originals, essential—and gotcha covered.
• Plus, the ins and outs of recognizing the genuine from the just-minted.

These relics, they aren’t merely paper and ink. They’re chroniclers of eras bygone, whispering tales of once-untouched  New York  avenues and  Parisian  boulevards. A weaver of dreams? A bearer of history? A canvas of inspiration for the modern maverick? Yes, thrice.

Turn the page, but let these icons linger—a dash of the past, dressed in modernity, making each wall, each design, whisper with echoes of a world that once was, yet, perhaps, still is.

If you liked this article about retro travel posters, you should check out this article about environmental posters .

There are also similar articles discussing animal posters , beach posters , comic book posters , and vintage advertising posters .

And let’s not forget about articles on fashion posters , advertising posters , music festival posters , and typography posters .

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