The history of tourism is absolutely fascinating. Why do we go on holiday to the Caribbean? How was the cruise developed? Why did we start travelling by plane? This article answers all of these questions and more about the history of tourism.
The history of tourism
The history of tourism is a long one. Whilst we may not always have had high speed trains, aircraft and luxurious cruise ships, people have long had the desire to be tourists.
The history of tourism can largely be attributed to technological developments in transport. The more roads that are built, the more places people can drive. The more airports that open, the more places that people can fly to.
The history of tourism is also closely related to the global economic, social and political outlook. Someone with lots of money is more likely to travel somewhere for a holiday than someone who does not have much money, for example. Likewise, many tourists are not likely to travel to a destination that is suffering from political instability.
There are many ways that the tourism industry has grown and developed over the years. This article explains the main eras in the history of tourism, followed by the history of aviation.
Ancient times
When did the history of tourism really begin? We can’t pinpoint it and, for obvious reasons, we can only really guess about tourism in ancient times. There are no selfies and no travel brochures to look back on, but we do know that people DID travel in ancient times. Historians have found records that provide an insight into the reasons that people travelled, and how this evolved into tourism.
We know that cultures and nations moved their armed forces around in order to conquer other areas, and to control trade routes and various resources. This created foundations for future travel. As the Egyptian, Roman and Eastern Mediterranean Empires emerged, necessary travel turned into tourism. The Phoenicians, for example, travelled not only to develop trade routes but also because of curiosity. They had a desire to discover what lay beyond that area of the Mediterranean.
And other peoples likely did the same. The Mayas in modern day Mexico, and members of the Shang Dynasty in modern day China, travelled to see what was beyond their own borders. They also wanted to spread their civilisations, of course. Historians have been able to find evidence of ancient travels – artefacts from other places turning up in excavations, that couldn’t be there unless the ancient people had their own form of tourism.
The Empire Era
It is hard to know when simple travel turned into what we would define as tourism. As mentioned, the Empire Era (beginning with the Egyptians, including the Greeks and stretching until the eventual fall of the Roman Empire) was influential in the development of travel and tourism. As time went on, people travelled more. They travelled for various reasons: commercial, educational, governmental and religious purposes. With consolidated governments in different central locations established as early as the Egyptian Kingdoms (c. 3100-332 BC), travel was a necessity.
And because travel was a necessity, so too were basic necessities. Lodging and food needed to be provided to those visiting from other areas, which likely gave way to a realisation that you could travel to another place just because. This is especially true of the Greeks (900-200 BC). They wanted to find fun in new locations – they promoted the use of a common language, and their money became a form of common currency.
Places that were important in terms of government activities turned into what we might call tourist attractions. With shops, places to eat and drink, sports to watch, gaming and even theatre, there was plenty to do if you travelled to a different area. This only evolved further with the ancient Romans. During their empire (from around 500 BC until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD), good roads were developed and water routes improved. Inns were opened, around 30 miles apart from each other – a relatively easy day’s journey in between, so you always had a place to rest at night. Horses could even be hired here.
Roman roads expanded into a 50,000-mile system. With their currency now almost universally accepted, and common languages such as Greek and Latin being used, travel constantly became easier and less stressful. Then came the common legal system. This allowed for people to feel safer and more protected as they traveled – whether that be for pleasure, business or adventure. Cities throughout the Roman empire (such as Pompeii) became destinations for the middle and upper classes to explore during their downtime.
This can teach us something about the way we travel today. Tourism booms when people have more free time (such as during school holidays) and currencies are easily exchangeable. There are common languages, and the existence of law allows for a feeling of personal safety. If any of these factors were to be removed, people would be less inclined to travel. This was seen during the Middle Ages, when tourism was in decline.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance Era
Throughout the Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries AD) leisure travel declined sharply. Travel became dangerous after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. While there had been a commonality among nations, there were now autonomous areas thanks to a feudal system. Transport was fragmented; so was language and currency. The main exception was religious pilgrimage- large numbers of people travelled to sites such as Rome, Canterbury and Santiago de Compostela.
And when people did travel, it wasn’t for leisure. With the Roman Catholic Church gaining power, there were nine crusades in attempt to retake the Holy Land between 1096 and 1291 AD. But they all failed, and left people with a desire to see the world outside of their own locality. People were keen to experience different civilisations.
Merchants and explorers such as Marco Polo, whose travels to Asia lasted from 1271 to 1295, also sparked interest in the wider world. His account of his journeys was widely read, and people started to become more interested in travelling again.
So travel was reborn. During the Renaissance (14-16th centuries AD) more merchants travelled further afield. This was in part due to the church and royalty controlling larger geographic areas than they previously had done. Trade routes also started to reopen. Commercial activity grew, and people continued to venture out of their own towns and territories.
Cyriacus of Ancona (1391-1452) has been described by some historians as the first real tourist. He journeyed around the Mediterranean, eager to learn about Greek and Roman history. His desire to learn about what had come before – and to see what remained – encouraged others to think about how travel could benefit education. And so, the Grand Tour Era emerged…
The Grand Tour Era
The Grand Tour era is an important part of the history of tourism. The era of the Grand Tour (from roughly the mid-1600s until the 1840s, when railways made travel faster and cheaper) was when tourism as we know it really came into play. Starting with the most wealthy in society, people travelled to learn. It was fashionable, and soon became a status symbol in its own way.
Those who were ‘coming of age’ would travel throughout Europe to see art, architecture, science and more in countries other than their own. Generally the most visited places were France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. Each ‘Grand Tour’ could last anywhere from several months to a few years. People would travel by carriage, and be accompanied by someone older to take care of them.
This changed slightly with the introduction of the industrial revolution in around 1750. Economic and social structures were changed forever. The revolution meant that lengthy journeys such as a Grand Tour trip were no longer particularly viable for many people. Factory life and business management, and indeed modern industrialism as a whole, led to people becoming more tied down.
Transport changed too – it became more efficient as economies grew and technology advanced. Markets stretched across borders and individuals had higher incomes; travel was now for business and leisure, but with less free time trips were shorter. The tourism industry had to develop rapidly to ensure they could meet the newfound needs of potential customers.
The Mobility Era
The next stage in the history of tourism is all about mobility. As time moved on, the economy (and personal wealth) continued to grow. Increased leisure time and more accessible travel meant that tourism boomed. Because fewer people were tied down to all-consuming jobs such as farm work and more had moved on to working in offices and factories, there was more free time available. The Mobility Era (1800-1944) was defined by an increase in travel to new locations both near and far.
With new roads, passenger trains, stagecoaches and sailing ships becoming more common, tourism continued to grow. France and Great Britain had fantastic road and railroad systems which made the idea of travel even more available to people. The Stockton and Darlington Railway, which opened in 1825, was the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives, and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830) was the first inter-city passenger railway.
Then along came Thomas Cook, who is widely credited with bringing travel and tourism to the general public- Thomas Cook is one of the most famous names in the history of tourism! He is credited with organising the first package tour– travel combined with food and entertainment. On 5 July 1841 he arranged for around 500 people to travel by train from Leicester to a temperance meeting in Loughborough, for a shilling each. There was instant demand for more of the same, and so the full-time business of arranging and providing travel services was born!
The Mobility Era continued to make changes. Cars and air travel were introduced next; with Henry Ford’s Model T (launched in 1908 and mass-produced on a moving assembly line from 1913), individuals had more freedom to travel. And thanks to Orville and Wilbur Wright’s successful test of the aeroplane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the first powered flight took place in 1903, and the first scheduled commercial airline service followed in 1914. This meant the time it took to travel long distance was much shorter, and thus people were more mobile.
The Modern Era
Another important time in the history of tourism is the modern era. The ability to move around and see new places was a start. Mass tourism continued to develop in the first half of the 20th century. Paid holidays became far more common in the 1930s- France introduced two weeks’ paid leave for workers in 1936, and in the UK the Holidays with Pay Act 1938 encouraged employers to give staff paid time off. This gave the working and middle classes in certain countries the time and money to fulfil their travel dreams – so the demand for tourism grew.
And as World War II came to an end in the 1940s, those who had been forced to travel during the war were keen to replicate this experience in a more positive way. They were now eager to travel for fun! They also wanted to share this with their loved ones, whether that be through travelling together or sharing stories that made these people want to travel too.
With gas/petrol no longer rationed, economies growing and cars once again being mass-produced, people travelled around in their cars – this was especially true in America, where the motel business really took off. This is similar, in a way, to the inns during the Empire Era.
Many factors contributed to the exponential growth of the travel industry. Hotels and motels took to the franchising model of business expansion, and jet travel was introduced in the 1950s (the de Havilland Comet became the first commercial jet airliner in 1952), becoming popular throughout the 1960s.
Another fifties introduction helped: the credit card. Originally the Diners Club card, this provided travellers with the means to buy things wherever they were in the world without the hassle of currency exchange and carrying cash. Today, card, contactless and mobile payments are the most common ways for travellers to pay.
So people had time, they had money – travel was safe and accessible. Tourism has simply continued to grow ever since. We now have mass tourism, and the people who engage in it can be split into two groups. Sociologist Erik Cohen called these ‘organised mass tourists’ who make use of package deals and pre-prepared itineraries, and ‘individual mass tourists’. The second group travel independently but do use mass tourism services (airlines, hotel companies etc) which have been promoted in the media.
The post-modern era
Travel is still ever-changing, though. People no longer necessarily travel just for the sake of travel – they want an immersive experience, adventure and the chance to give back to the local community. Tourism, and the travel companies with the industry, have to keep up with the different demands.
Throughout the 21st century, Internet access has become more common and new borders have opened. Wealth and mobility have increased in many parts of the world. As different countries become attractive to tourists, their economy grows – which, in turn, makes the destination more attractive. This is why tourism is so important.
There are always peaks and troughs when it comes to tourism. Terrorism, health scares and political/economic instability often discourage travel. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the biggest crisis in the history of tourism- international tourist arrivals fell by more than 70% in 2020. The recovery has since been strong: according to UN Tourism, a record 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals were recorded in 2025, around 4% more than in 2024, generating close to US$1.9 trillion in tourism receipts.
In the post-modern tourism era, consumers are more savvy, more fussy and more aware. Nowadays, people care more about environmental conservation, community impact, economic leakage and other such issues and are far more considerate when they plan and undertake their travels.
Also, people now search for experiences that are authentic and are looking to experience a range of different types of tourism. Organisations working within the sector can now offer far more smart tourism experiences, such as virtual tourism– which was widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, consumers are more Internet savvy in the post-modern era, meaning that many lean towards independent research and dynamic packaging rather than traditional package holidays. This shift contributed to the collapse of some well-known travel companies, including Thomas Cook, which ceased trading in September 2019. At the same time, there has been strong growth in independent, home-based travel agents, who offer personal service backed by the buying power of a host agency.
Video: The history of tourism
The history of aviation
An account of the history of tourism wouldn’t be complete without discussing the integral role that aviation has played. So, let’s dig a bit deeper into the history of aviation specifically…
What is the history of tourism involving aircraft?
What most people don’t realise when considering the history of tourism is that people have been fascinated by flight for thousands of years! Dating back to the ancient years in Greek mythology is the story of Icarus and Daedalus who attempted to create a pair of wings using wax and feathers.
While this invention sadly ended in tragedy, one thing it shows is that humans have been interested and intrigued by flight for centuries. It took us a bit of time to master the skies, however and it is thanks largely to the famous Wright Brothers and to various military developments that we have the aviation industry that we do today.
Early inventions impacting the history of tourism
The first human-made flying objects were probably kites. These were created in China, possibly as early as the 5th century BC, and are similar to the kites we still use today. The Chinese also developed sky lanterns (sometimes called Kongming lanterns), which use hot air to rise- the same principle later used by hot air balloons.
Aviation in the 1700’s
By the 1700s, inventors were experimenting seriously with flight. At this time, there were two main categories of aviation: lighter than air (such as balloons) and heavier than air (such as gliders). This was an important time in the history of tourism.
In June 1783, the Montgolfier brothers revealed their hot air balloon which didn’t need man to power it and the balloon flew over Annonay, France. This really started a wave of inventors who were interested in creating crafts that could fly without man powering it.
In October 1783 the first tethered manned balloon flights took place, and on 21 November 1783 Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes made the first untethered manned flight in a Montgolfier balloon, travelling around 9 km over Paris in about 25 minutes. This is often seen as the beginning of human flight.
December 17, 1903- a major day in the history of tourism
On this date, Orville and Wilbur Wright changed the face of aviation and what it is today, making this day a pivotal moment in the history of tourism.
Successfully completing four flights in their “flyer”, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the brothers achieved the first sustained, controlled, powered flights- the longest lasted 59 seconds and covered 852 feet. Setting a new standard for aviation, these flights relied on power and control to work. This was brand new in the world of aviation and a very exciting achievement!
Because of the efforts of the Wright brothers, on 1 January 1914 the world’s first scheduled commercial airline service began in the United States. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line flew between St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida, these flights only lasted a few months but paved the way for what we know today as commercial aviation and marked an important development in the history of tourism.
The 1920’s and 1930’s were a time of major improvements and inventions in the aviation industry. Aircraft designs that were ahead of their time and influenced aircrafts that we see today, were being used to allow people to travel from one place to another comfortably. Many airlines were founded in this period- KLM, established in 1919, is the oldest airline still operating under its original name.
Post World War II
During World War II, aviation technology advanced rapidly and many airports and long runways were built. After the war, surplus military aircraft and trained pilots helped airlines expand quickly, and international air travel grew enormously. This was a huge time in the history of tourism!
In 1944, 52 nations signed the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention. It created the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency that sets global standards for the safety, security and efficiency of civil aviation and today has 193 member states.
Aviation Today
After World War II there were substantial developments in aviation. In 1970 the Boeing 747 ‘jumbo jet’ entered service, greatly reducing the cost of long-haul travel, and Concorde operated supersonic passenger flights from 1976 until 2003. From the 1980s, digital ‘fly-by-wire’ systems and computerised cockpits made aircraft sleeker, safer and more efficient.
Computer simulations of flights have also led to the design of lighter aircraft and airplanes that are stronger. Today’s aviation industry offers one of the safest forms of transportation and has taken huge strides over the years.
The history of aviation has been and continues to be a huge part of the economy for the entire world and has seen major improvements over the years. Without the discoveries from inventors that came before us, airplanes and travel may not be where they are today.
Airline deregulation and the growth of low-cost airlines have made flying affordable for millions more people, and IATA expects airlines to carry a record 5.2 billion passengers in 2026. The next chapter is likely to focus on reducing aviation’s environmental impact, through sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), more efficient aircraft and, potentially, electric and hydrogen-powered planes. The history of tourism is not complete yet!
History of tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about the history of tourism and aviation.
When did tourism begin?
People have travelled for trade, religion and curiosity since ancient times, but travel for pleasure grew during the Greek and Roman eras, when good roads, inns, a common currency and common languages made journeys easier. Modern tourism as we know it developed from the Grand Tour of the 17th and 18th centuries and the arrival of railways in the 19th century.
Who is considered the father of modern tourism?
Thomas Cook is often described as the father of modern tourism. In July 1841 he organised a rail excursion for around 500 people from Leicester to Loughborough, which is widely regarded as the first package tour.
What was the Grand Tour?
The Grand Tour was a long educational trip around Europe, popular with wealthy young people from roughly the mid-1600s to the 1840s. Travellers visited countries such as France, Switzerland and especially Italy to see art, architecture and classical ruins.
When was the first commercial flight?
The world’s first scheduled commercial airline service was the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line in Florida, which began on 1 January 1914. It followed the Wright brothers’ first powered flight in December 1903.
How did mass tourism develop?
Mass tourism grew in the 20th century thanks to paid holidays, rising incomes, affordable cars, jet aircraft and package holidays. After World War II, these factors made travel accessible to the working and middle classes for the first time.
How many international tourists are there today?
According to UN Tourism, there were a record 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals in 2025, around 4% more than in 2024, after the sector recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
History of tourism- further reading
As you can see, the history of tourism is long and fruitful. While the industry has had its ups and downs, largely due to outside factors such as economic recession, war or a virus outbreak, it has continued to play an ever-important role in our lives. If you found this article on the history of tourism useful, you may also find these articles helpful-
- The fascinating history of Thomas Cook
- The fascinating history of the hotel industry
- History of transportation
- Mass tourism explained
- Package tourism explained
- 150 types of tourism: the ultimate tourism glossary
- The fascinating history of Aviation
