Tourism is derived from the Hebrew word torah which means studying, learning, searching.
Early tourism has two forms:
Travel for business
Religious travel
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 tradears and as their respective empires increased, travel became necessary. At this time, there was also travel for private purposes.
Travel for religious reason took the form of pilgrimages to places of worship .
Pilgrimages were made to fulfill a vow as in case of illness or of great danger or as penance for sins.
Beside 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 of the modern passport.
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 infected harm on those who dared to travel.
No one during this time travelled for pleasure.
Crusaders and pilgrims were the only ones who traveled.
Because few renowned universities developed, traveling for education was introduced by the British 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.
Grand Tour was used as early as 1670. While apparently educational, the appeal became social.
Pleasure-seeking young men of leisure travelled predominantly through France and Italy .
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 word Waloon word “espa” meaning fountain.
Travelers immersed themselves in healing waters, soon, entertainment was added, and dozens of watering places became resort hotels.
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 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.