History of Tourism
The search for basic necessities of life i.e. water, food, shelter and safety kept the early hunters constantly on the move from one place to another. This often meant dangerous and difficult travel for individuals, families. In the absence of any organised roads, people travelled on foot or on animal backs.
The history of travel and tourism is a testament to human curiosity, exploration, and the desire to connect with other cultures and places. From ancient civilizations to the modern era, travel and tourism have evolved significantly, shaped by historical, technological, economic, and social factors. Today, travel and tourism are major global industries that continue to evolve and adapt to changing trends and demands.
The travel from the ancient time to modern time can be discussed in several phases:
Travel in Prehistoric Time: Travel in prehistoric times i.e. 30000 BC to 10000 BC were for search of basic needs. Later the ability to make and use tools enabled prehistoric man to travel to new hunting grounds.
During the Neolithic Age i.e. about 10000 BC several innovations in the field of transportation changed the very nature of travel. Invention of sailing vessels, wheels changed the way of travel and marks the beginning of the modern era of travel.
The traveller of the past was a merchant, a pilgrim, a scholar. Trade and commerce was another important force in ancient times.
From the third century BC Greek tourists travelled to visit the sites of healing gods. There are many examples of travel in ancient Greek, Rome and Egypt. Wealthy Greeks and Romans travelled to Egypt on holiday’s sports, the summer in coastal cities like, Bay of Naples and most of such visits were for leisure rather than for health.
Early travel in the orient, particularly in India and China was also largely based on trade and commerce. Travel to India was undertaken by travellers from all over the world. There were invaders like Alexander to great travellers like Vasco-da Gama, etc.
Travel in the Middle Age: In the mediaeval period many travellers travelled for distant land. The primary aim was trade and commerce. This was followed by an urge to explore new lands and to seek new knowledge in ancient and distant lands. There were many pioneers in this regard. Many pioneer travellers in this period reached India. In this period, travelling was difficult as the modern transport system was not there at that time.
Holidays played an important role in the life of the public and from earliest times religion provided the framework within which leisure was spent. To perform a religious duty, pilgrims would be undertaken to a place of worship.
The Grand Tour: From the early seventeenth century, a new form of tourism developed as a direct outcome of the freedom and quest for learning heralded by the renaissance. Under the reign of Elizabeth-I, young men seeking positions at court were encouraged to travel to the continents to finish their education. This practice was soon adopted by others in upper sections of society and eventually became customary for the education of a gentleman to be completed by a grand tour of the major cultural centres of Europe accompanied by a tutor and often lasting for three years or more. The grand tour gave a further boost to the educational tour.
Travel in the Modern Age: The concept of modern tourism began in the second half of the nineteenth century hand in hand with the development of the industrialised societies of Western Europe and North America.
Industrial revolution makes some changes in societies. Concentration of materials in hand, development of large and small towns and high concentration of population in the towns and as a result unhealthy condition, pollution, repetitive works and lack of rest in working groups led to refreshment tours in other areas close to nature. With these, the development in the transport system led to an increase in travel.
Paid Holidays and Grand Tour: In the last quarter of the 19th Century increasing attention was given to the desirability of holidays with pay or at least of cheap holidays for working class people. During this period few factories gave paid holiday to their workers in the West. The introduction of annual paid holiday is of English origin and had an important role in the development of mass tourism. Rise in the standard of living of the working and middle class in America and certain European countries was yet another factor responsible for growth in tourism.
Tourism in the Present Phase: Development of modern transport systems (highways, expressways, train, high speed train, invent of air transport etc.) with the gradual lowering of travel fair, rise of travel agents and tour operators with their increasing competition to give facilities for the travellers, increasing interaction and interrelation among countries, revolution in information and communication technologies and increasing advertisements of the tourism departments, tour operators, regarding facilities, packages and last of all the increasing income of the people lead to a phenomenal growth of tourism throughout the world. Increasing complexity with increasing urbanisation in human life makes people travel. Thus today travel and tourism is the world’s largest growing industry in terms of foreign exchange earnings and employment.
No comments:
Post a Comment