A Brief History of Tourism

A Brief History of Tourism

July 10, 2009
RPTS 202

NEWS
CNN: Jackson family petitioning to bury MJ at

Neverland Ranch (link)

Daily Mail: Jacksons Neverland Ranch in a state of
disrepair (link)
Al-Jazeera: Earthquake in China destroys 10,000
homes (link)
BBC: World Powers Accept Global Warming Limit (
link) against some scientists advice (link)
CNN: Travel Snapshots from Turkey (link)

Will we be surprised?
What year is currently widely accepted as being

approximately the year tourism began?

How many tourists were there in 1950? 2004?
What were the barriers to travel historically?
Who was Marco Polo, and why is he of such
importance to the tourism industry?
What is/was the Grand Tour?
Who was the father of tourism as we know it
today?

Current Tourism Growth

The substantial growth of the tourism activity

marks tourism as one of the most remarkable

economic and social phenomena of the past century.

The number of international arrivals shows an evolution from

a mere 25 million international arrivals in 1950 to an estimated
763 million in 2004
This is a growth rate of 6.5%

The growth rate has sustained! What are the limits?

Integrated Model
Of Tourism

EXTERNAL
ENVIRONMENT

TOURISM
SERVICES
SUPPLIERS

Society &
Culture

Economy
Accomodations

TOURISM
PROMOTERS

Destinations

Travel
Agents

Tour
Operators
The Tourist

Attractions/
Entertainment
Politics

Tourist
Boards

Meeting
Planners
Direct
Marketing

Transportation

Technology

Food &
Beverage
Environment

History of Travel & Tourism

- Pre-Historic Travel

Paleolithic Age (32,000 BC - 10,000 BC)

Forged Trails = Hunting (was this tourism?)

Fire/tools (no animals)/shelter

History of Travel & Tourism

- Pre-Historic Travel

Neolithic Age

Critters & Sailing Vessels (4,000 BCish)

The Wheel (3,500 BC) (China)
Agriculture/stored (communities exchanged)
Coins (= light)
Religion

- The Empire Era

Egyptian Kingdoms (4850 715 B.C.)

Government in centralized locations

Used Nile (north = current, south = sails)

Greek Empire (900 200 B.C.)

Use of a common language (Mediterr.)

Currency Exchange
City-States became attractions

Shopping, eat/drinking, gaming, sports, theater

Empire Era (cont.)

Roman Empire (500 B.C. A.D. 300)

Tourism for both middle class and wealthy

Good roads (50,000 mile system)!

Appian Way

Roman currency universal

Common legal system

Safety when travelling

Inns (30 miles apart)

Middle Ages and Renaissance

Middle Ages (5th 14th centuries)

Feudal System replaced Roman Rule

Fragmented Industry (now unsafe)

Money, language, transportation, etc.

travel now difficult and dangerous

Catholic Church began to gain power
stable/central force
religious holidays

Middle Ages - Crusades

Crusades (1096-1291)

attempting to regain the holy land

exchange of ideas
ideas, and goods
(desire is born!)
afforded less
wealthy to travel

Pilgrimages
Pilgrimages (1200 to 1300)

religion/health = adventure and learning

destinations were born (accom. & food)
arrested & beaten if not a holy mission

*search for a better way of life

Marco Polo
Marco Polo (1275 1295) Mid. East to China

4 Languages
Had wealth in gold
Had access to transportation vessels

Family involved in the Navy and were merchants

Had education
Had important friends through family marriages

Safety and marketing were assured

1254-1324, from Venice, Italy

Silk Road (began journey in 1271)
His books detailing the world piqued interest in travel

amongst Europes elitists

The Renaissance Era

Renaissance (14th to 16th centuries)

The Rebirth of Travel!

Kings & Queens had larger territories

Merchants could travel further (trade routes)

Desire to learn and experience other cultures is born!

= The Grand Tour!

Grand Tour Era!

Grand Tour (1500-1820) or (1613-1785)!

Wealthy English started, later others (status)
England - France Switzerland Germany - Italy
Motivations

culture, health, pleasure, curiosity, science, career

education, art & scenery

Lasted approximately 40 months (age 22 to 40)

New amenities formed
Tribulations = theft, alps, rivers
Carriage rentals, 1829 1st all-inclusive
Industrial Revolution (1750) started downfall

The Grand Tour!

The itinerary was similar for all

London, England

Paris, France

Auxerre, France

Lugano, Switzerland

Pisa, Italy

Rome, Italy

Florence, Italy

Venice, Italy

Inssbruck, Austria

Munich, Germany

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Mobility Era (1800 1944)

Growing economic prosperity = leisure time!

Grand Tour gave way to family vacations

spas were huge
Romanticism (1800s)= literature & arts
urban bad, nature good (closer to God)
Transportation!!
Coach system (mail), needed tie-ups/Inns

abusive (schedules, temp., physical)

Water travel preferred (1840 Cunard)

Trains (1830 in England), 1903 Wright Brothers
Model T mass produced (1914)

Cooks Tours
Made Group Tour a business (1841)
Economics: Desire+Need+Motivation=$$$
Services

Connections, tickets, timetables, currency exchange,

travel guides, the tour

Introduced (1850 - 1920)

Cooks Coupons (pre-pay)

Circular Notes (travelers cheques)
Cook made world tourism affordable!

Modern Era Mass Tourism

2 World Wars = Technology & desire increase

Automobile

Better Roads post WW1 = bungalow camps

Post WW2

Mass produced, gas not rationed & prosperity

Airplane

Lindbergh (1927), initially $$

1958 = jet travel and economy class
Credit card (1950)
Individual vs. Organized Mass Tourists

Other Factors

Leisure Time
Creation of the weekend (Upton Sinclairs The Jungle)
1938 Fair Labor Standards Act
Oil Crisis (mid 70s)
Tourism Policy
deregulation (1978), USTTA (1981)
Technology Advances
Theme Parks
Peace Industry??

Geography of Tourism

Physical Geography (features of earth)

Landforms, H20, vegetation, climate, etc.

Human (cultural) Geography

Language, religion, dress, food, customs

= cultural norms/expectations

Regional Geography (study one area)

Effects of climate, time of year, etc.

ie, Ski areas, wine regions, etc.

Business Perspectives

Marketing (4 Ps)
Meeting the needs/desires of visitors
Importance of segmentation

Challenges & Opportunities

Can growth & development occur w/o creating

environmental problems?
How will technology effect tourism?
As tourism grows, where will the workforce
come from?
Will tourism change the social structure of
countries/communities?