The oldest industry is thought to be the tourism sector. Even in biblical times, when Noah constructed a huge wooden ship and carried the passengers, the history can be traced. The ancient civilizations of Greece, Mesopotamia, Sumeria, China, and Egypt all benefited greatly from tourism. Ancient trade operations prompted local communities to develop services for travelers who arrive in groups arranged in the form of caravans; this type of grouping of individuals can be compared to the modern services provided by a travel agency. Inns for them to stay in—the modern equivalent of a hotel—taverns for them to eat at—the modern equivalent of a restaurant—and horse stables to feed their horses—the primary mode of transportation for long distances other than walking—the modern equivalent of a gas station—are notable provisions for caravans. Successful people like John Williard Marriott and Conrad Hilton were introduced to the world as commercial tycoons promoting in tourist and hospitality services through these three provisions, which boosted trade

Early Tourism

Early Tourism Travel and exploration are basic to human nature. Man has traveled since the earliest times although the term tourism was used only in the 19th century. "Tourism" is derived from the Hebrew word torah which means studying, learning, or searching.

Tourism can trace its ancestry in the Old Testament. Noah with his Ark must have been the first large-scale operator even though his passengers were mostly animals. There are numerous references to caravans and traders in the Old Testament. Chapters 26 27 of the Book of Ezekiel describe trade and commerce in ancient Tyre and recount the travels abroad made by merchants.

Ancient Games in Greek Vase Art 

Early tourism has two forms: travel for business such as trading and religious travel. Throughout history, merchants have traveled extensively in order to trade with other nations and tribes. The invention of money, writing, and wheel by the Sumerians facilitated travel and exchange of goods. The early Phoenicians toured the Mediterranean as traders. Both the Greeks and the Romans were well-known traders and as their respective empires increased, travel became necessary. At this time, there was also travel for private purposes. Examples are the Olympic Games held in 776 BC by the Greeks as well as the travel by rich Romans for enjoyment and to visit friends and relatives. The Roman traveler was largely aided by improvement in communications, first-class roads, and inns (forerunners of modern hotels). By employing relays of horses, distances of 100 miles or more could be covered in one day. In between distances of six miles were mutations or stables where horses could be changed. They are the equivalent of the present gasoline stations.

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Travel for religious reasons took the form of pilgrimages to places of worship such as Chaucer's tale of pilgrimage to Canterbury. Pilgrimages were made to fulfill a vow as in case of illness or of great danger or as penance for sins. Besides Rome and Jerusalem, St. James of Galicia was the foremost destination of English pilgrims in the 14th century. Beginning in 1388, English pilgrims were required to obtain and carry permits, the forerunner for the modern passport

Tourism in the Medieval Period

The map of the Roman Empire

A mosaic of Alexander the Great 

During the medieval period, travel declined. Travel, derived from the word travail, became burdensome, dangerous, and demanding during this time. After the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, roads were not maintained and they became unsafe. Thieves inflicted harm on those who dared to travel. No one during this time traveled for pleasure. Crusaders and pilgrims were the only ones who traveled

Crusaders are travellers who travel for business/trading.

Pilgrims are travellers who travel for religious purposes.

Tourism During the Renaissance and Elizabethan Eras

Queen Elizabeth I of England

With the Renaissance, a few renowned universities developed so that travel for education was introduced largely by the British. Travel for education became popular in the 16th century. Under Elizabeth I, young men seeking positions in court were encouraged to travel to the continent to widen their education. This practice was gradually adopted by others in the lower social scale. In time, it became recognized that the education of a gentleman should be completed by a "Grand Tour" of the cultural centers of the continent which lasted for three years.

St. Peter's Basilica

Santa Maria del Fiore Cahtedral, Florence, Italy

The term was used as early as 1670. While apparently educational, the appeal became social. Pleasure-seeking young men of leisure traveled predominantly through France and Italy to enjoy the cultures and social life in Europe, with Venice, Florence, and Paris as the key attractions. By the end of the 18th century, the practice had become institutionalized for the upper class of society. As young men sought intellectual improvement in the continent, the sick sought a remedy for their illnesses in "spas" or medicinal baths. The term "spa" is derived from the Walloon word espa meaning "fountain." Turnbridge Wells in Kent (near London) became famous as a spa in the 1660s. Travelers immersed themselves in the healing waters. Soon, entertainment was added and dozens of watering places became resort hotels. Bath in England, Baden-Baden in Germany, Baden in Austria, Bainesles-Basin in France, Lucca in Italy, and Karsibad and Marienbad in Bohemia became fashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries

Tourism During the Industrial Revolution

The Factory Chimneys in London

The Industrial Revolution brought about major changes in the scale and type of tourism development. It brought about not only technological changes, but also essential social changes that made travel desirable as a recreational activity. The increase in productivity, regular employment, and growing urbanization gave more people the motivation and opportunity to go on a holiday. The emerging middle class combined higher incomes and growing education into annual holidays. To escape from their responsibilities and the crowded city environment, they traveled to the countryside or seashore for their holidays. This led to the creation of working-class resorts near major industrial centers.

Tourism in the 19th Century

Early Train unit in Stockton and Darlington Railway

Two technological developments in the early part of the 19th century had a great effect on the growth of tourism. These were the introduction of the railway and the development of steam power. The railroads created not only more business by providing reliable and cheap transportation, but also more competition as various private companies invested heavily in hotels, resorts, and entertainment facilities. Thus, tourism was transformed from a small business catering to the elite into the start of a mass market, that is, travel by a large number of individuals.

Thomas Cook, the Father of Modern Tourism

Excursion organized by Thomas Cook in the 19th Century

The use of steam power provided the increased mobility needed by the tourism business. Steamers on the major rivers provided reliable and inexpensive transportation that led to the popular day-trip cruises and the growth of coastal resorts near large industrial towns. As tourism became organized in the later years of the 19th century, the organization of travel became an established institution. Travel organizers emerged. The first and most famous of these was Thomas Cook. His first excursion train trip was between Leicester and Loughborough in 1841 with 570 passengers at a round-trip fare of one shilling. The success of this venture encouraged him to arrange similar excursions using chartered trains. In 1866, he organized his first American tour. In 1874, he introduced "circular notes" which were accepted by banks, hotels, shops, and restaurants. These were in effect the first travelers' checks.

Other tour companies which appeared in Britain at this time were Dean and Dawson in 1871, the Polytechnic Touring Association in 1872, and Frames in 1881. In the United States, American Express was founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo.

European Tourist Trip in the Pyramids of Giza

As the 19th century drew to a close, photography and guide books became popular. A huge variety of guide books which dealt with both local and overseas travel were sold to tourists. The most popular of these was Baedecker, first published in 1839, which became the leading guide for European countries at the end of the century.

Difference between Excursionist and Tourist

Excursionist - travels within 24 hours only. The traveler travels from its origin to another place and comes back to its origin within 24 hours.

Tourist - travels more than 24 hours but less than 1 year.

Tourism in the 20th Century

At the beginning of the 20th century, pleasure travel continued to expand, encouraged by the increasing wealth, curiosity, and outgoing attitudes of the people as well as the increasing ease of such movement.

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The Trenches in the First World War

German Occupation in Brussels

World War I brought about many changes, which influenced the volume of tourism. Early post-war prosperity, coupled with large-scale migration, boosted the demand for international travel. Interest in foreign travel was further enhanced by the first-hand experience of foreign countries. New forms of mass communication stimulated curiosity about other countries. In addition to the influence of posters and the press, the cinema, radio, and television widened knowledge and interest in travel.

Boeing 747 in 1948

After World War I, forms of travel began to change radically. The railways as a means of travel declined with the introduction of the motor car. Motorized public road transport and improved road conditions led to the popularity of seaside tours. World War II also led to increased interest in travel. The war had introduced combatants not only to new countries, but also to new continents, generating new friendships and in interest in different cultures. Another outcome of war was the progress in aircraft technology. Air travel had become more comfortable, safer, faster, and cheaper in comparison with other forms of transport. With the introduction of the Boeing 707 jets in 1958, the age of air travel for the masses arrived, hastening the decline of sea travel. Improvements in air transport not only encouraged greater transcontinental travel, but were also instrumental in the growth of international travel in the 1960s and 1970s. The earth literally shrank for the tourist, bringing distant exotic islands closer and replacing week-long sea voyages with a few hours of air travel.

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A Street with Private Cars in Stockholm, Sweden 

After the post-war recovery years, there was an increase in private car ownership. Travelers switched to the use of private cars and this change affected both coach and rail services. The private car provided flexible transportation which freed people from the schedules and fixed routes of public transport. It encouraged the growth of excursions and short-stay holidays. Resorts near major centers of population benefited considerably. Road improvements brought more distant resorts closer to the major cities. Resourceful tour operators devised flexible packages aimed at the private motorist at home and abroad. Hotels also devised their own programs of short-stay holidays for the private motorist. The demand for hired cars on holidays overseas also increased substantially.

The post-war economic recovery provided an increase in discretionary income and leisure time, which many people converted into increased recreation and travel. Due to labor negotiations and social legislation, the length of official and paid holidays increased. Governments have created more vacation time by incorporating isolated public holidays into the familiar "long weekends" throughout the year. By the 1970s, two vacations a year were a common occurrence. The annual overseas holiday had become a necessity rather than a luxury.

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos in a Photograph in the Cultural Center of the Philippines - a government project that increased the interest of domestic and international tourists in Art Tourism in the 1970's

As business and trade prospered in the developed countries, business travel also flourished, leading to the demand not only for individual travel, but also for conference and incentive travel on a worldwide scale. The 1970s have also seen the emergence of new patterns in tourism. As economic power has shifted between countries, new tourism-generating countries such as the oil-rich Arab countries and Japan arose. Europe, as well as the developing tourist-based economies of Asia, have benefited from this influx. The Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have strengthened their tourist attractions to appeal to new markets.

Prospects for the continued growth of world tourism in the 20th century appear to be the most promising. Societal trends are favorable to the continued growth of demand. Governments of many nations are encouraging the growth of both domestic and international tourism as a means of job creation, economic diversification, and source of foreign exchange. Beyond its economic significance, there is a growing realization of the role of international travel in promoting world peace and prosperity.

Cesar Ritz

Cesar Ritz

Cesar Ritz became the general manager of the Savoy Hotel in London, one of the most famous and luxurious hotels in the world. He made the hotel a cultural center for high society. The Ritz name is synonymous with refined, elegant hotels and service. At present, the Ritz-Carlton hotels bear his name.

Ellsworth Milton Statler

Ellsworth Milton Statler is considered to be the premier hotel-man of all time. He brought a high standard of comfort and convenience to the middle-class traveler at an affordable price. He was the first to put telephones and radios in every guest room together with full-length mirrors, built-in closets, and a special faucet for ice water.

Conrad Hilton

Conrad Hilton was once recognized as "the biggest hotel man in the world." He was described by the New York Times as the "master of hotel finance." He was careful not to over-finance and had a flawless sense of timing. In 1954, he formed the first major chain of American hotels-a group of hotels which followed standard operating procedures

Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook is recognized as the first professional travel agent. He was the founder of the world's first travel agency. He is credited for making world travel possible for the middle class. The phrase "Cook's tour" is still used at present to refer to a tour that goes to many places and stops briefly at each place

Father of Modern Tourism

Howard Dearing Johnson

Howard Johnson was the pioneer of brand leveraging. He was one of the first to introduce franchising in the 1930s. At present, Howard Johnson is one of the famous names in the restaurant and hotel business

J. Willard Marriott

J. Willard Marriott founded the Marriott Corporation which has continued to be an important asset to the hospitality industry. Through his strong faith and determination, J. Willard Marriott began with a rootbeer stand which was founded by necessity and built it into a multibillion-dollar industry.

Ray Kroc

Ray Kroc has been the most financially successful of all hospitality entrepreneurs. He founded the McDonald's Corporation, a multibillion-dollar industry, through his strong dedication, organizational skills, perseverance, and incredible aptitude for marketing. Kroc developed several operational guidelines such as Quality Service Cleanliness and Value or QSC&V. Kroc's motto, "Never be idle a moment" was also incorporated into the business.

Isadore Sharp

Isadore Sharp, a first-generation Canadian, was the founder of Four Seasons Regent Hotels, the world's largest hotel chain and a multimillion-dollar global hotel empire. The success of the Four Seasons Regent Hotels is largely due to the drive, determination, and personal taste and style of Isadore Sharp

Ruth Fertel

Ruth Fertel was the founder of Chris Steak House, the largest upscale restaurant chain in the United States. It has 59 operations-54 in the US and Puerto Rico and five internationally. It sells more than 11,000 steaks daily with a gross income of two hundred million dollars a year. Because of this volume, Ruth Fertel is the most successful woman restaurateur at present