We all love to travel to faraway destinations to explore unknown lands and cultures and have the pleasure of visiting foreign lands. Traveling is an antidote to the stress and monotony of life and most importantly, travelling to other places and regions broadens our perspective on life. As they say, "Travel is the best education". But have you ever wondered how world tourism began, the concept of holidays to faraway lands and the ideas of leisure time used to witness foreign lands? Let's dig a little bit into the history of tourism as it plays an important role that motivates us today because travel and tourism has changed our lives in significant ways. This brief history, however, is focused more on the evolution of tourism within Europe.
You may be surprised to learn that the first accounts of foreign travel date back to the pharaohs of Egypt and the Roman and the Greek empires. Of course, it was not the idea of vacationing during those times that pushed people to travel to unknown lands, but the curiosity of what lies beyond their territories and the urge to extend the kingdoms was the main purpose for discovering the world throughout history. Apart from this, another fascinating fact in the first recorded history of human travel comes from the first Olympics held in 776 B.C. which called on people from various kingdoms and regions of that time to travel to Greece.
If we talk about pleasure and leisure travel in the past, the accounts reveal that it was limited to royalty and the upper-class elites of the time. The so-called "Grand Tour" was intended for royalty and the novelty was the visit of neighbouring kingdoms and empires for educational and mainly hedonistic purposes. With the beginning of the Dark Ages, however, journeys to other lands were mainly made in the form of pilgrimages. Towards the end of the Dark Ages, and with the beginning of the Renaissance, educational visits were in great demand. People travelled to see famous paintings, architecture in other states, to experience new cultures.
Travel and journeys became organized routines in 1758 when Richard Cox was recruited as a travel and accommodation organizer for the British Royal Armed Forces. Almost 100 years later, Richard Cox opened the world's first travel agency in June 1841 to help the British see the world and experience leisure travel. Furthermore, with the advent of industrialization and the introduction of railways and the automobile, tourism flourished even faster. In the 1950s, the tourism sector made even greater strides with the introduction of airplanes, which allowed people to travel internationally faster and more conveniently.
The 1970s and 1980s saw a booming tourism industry, with more and more travel agencies and countries such as Spain, Italy and France actively promoting tourism in their respective countries to stimulate the economy. Since then, there has been no turning back, the tourism industry has been one of the most resource-rich sectors for many countries. Spain, for example, thrives on tourism and emblematic structures such as the Sagrada Familia, welcomes thousands of visitors every year. There are many other examples of landmark sites around the world that have acted as a magnet for tourists, another example is the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
At Villanovo, we are delighted to offer you the best range of luxury accommodation and stays for your holiday in the locations of your choice. Our finest hospitality is at your disposal and our philosophy is to offer you maximum comfort and indulgence during your holiday.
