CHAPTER 2 :THE HISTORY OF TOURISM
In the 19 th century tourism
was mainly for the rich. They
had enough money and spare
time for travelling.
In the early 19th century
tourists used to travel by trains
and steamships.
In the first half of the 19th
century steamships used to
move within inland waterways
only.
Today, the tourism sector has
become one of the great economic
engines in many countries, forming
part of the international political
agenda. In recent years, with low-
cost flights and the existence of
alternative accommodations,
managed by online companies, it is
much easier for tourists to afford
to travel and they can design their
itinerary and experiences to their
liking.
TIMELINE INFOGRAPHIC
In 1920 a special Conference
of the League of Nations on
Passports was convened. It
was recommended to
introduce as a uniform a
form of a foreign passport of
the "international type" in
which there would be no
more than 32 pages and all
data should be duplicated in
English or French
In the following decades,
there was a progressive
internationalisation of
hotel companies, travel
agencies and airlines. New
products and new leisure
activities were also
offered, revolving around
sports and health, among
others.
The 19th century saw the
creation of the first travel
agencies. One of the pioneers
was Thomas Cook & Son, which
was the first to offer excursions
and holidays for groups, which
included transport,
accommodation and food
tickets, thus making costs
cheaper. This would be the
origin of what we now know as
package holidays.
In the first half of the 20th
century, the tourism industry
continued to grow thanks to the
mass production of buses and
cars. Coastal tourism began to gain
importance and, after World War II,
the Mediterranean coast quickly
grew in popularity. Also,
improvements in air transport
(charter flights) as well as progress
in labour legislation and a growth
in social welfare led to a boom in
tourism.