Introduction
Travel dates back to prehistoric times, but tourism is a more contemporary industry that emerged following the industrial revolution. The search for new experiences, activities, and lifestyles has prepared the way for this notion known as “new tourism” (Hunt and Layne, 1991). As times change, so do the wants and expectations of the “new” visitor. Such trends, on the other hand, tend to have a history that extends back to the early twentieth century, when mass tourism was just getting begun. The tourism business has changed dramatically over the previous century, affecting not only locations and the economic impact of tourism on countries, but also the tourist industry itself and how people travel in the modern world.
Simultaneously, the changes in the tourism business were largely influenced by technology advancements made in the previous century. In this regard, the rapid development of infrastructure, the introduction of new modes of transportation, such as the advancement of railroads and airways, and the advancement of technology that support travel, including the Internet, which encompasses online booking and journey planning, are all worth noting. All these, and more factors that influenced travel industry in the 20th century and made it as it is right now will be discussed in this essay.
Brief Tourism History
Travel was chaotic, included a small number of people, was not regarded a business, and did not have the same leisure drive as it has today. The first stage of travel evolution is prehistoric period travel – from 2 million to 20 thousand years ago, travel began (Saarinen, Rogerson and Hall, 2017). People went in quest of food, to avoid opponents and to expand their territory. Travel at this time was marked by a small number of participants, a lack of organization, the presence of explorers, and a lack of leisure. Time travel in the past included a small number of travelers, mostly explorers, a lack of organization, and the major motivators for travel were commercial and administrative reasons rather than enjoyment as in modern times.
The next stage is ancient time travel. Europe, the Middle East, North America, and North Africa were the only places where you could travel (Saarinen, Rogerson and Hall, 2017). The Greeks journeyed to the healing gorges in the 3rd century BC with the intention of participating in religious celebrations. The tourism industry may have begun 3000 years ago, when Egyptians built the ancient pyramids. Egyptians held several religious festivals and constructed museums, pyramids, and other hard structures for visitors to see (Sezgin and Yolal, 2012). Catering, selling, and touting, as well as prostitutes, were all popular during the festivities. By the fifth century B.C., the Greeks were also enjoying the holiday.
Tourism during the Renaissance period (17th-18th century) was marked by remarkable inventions in art and, more crucially, architecture; better hotel construction styles were developed, and hotels became tourist attractions. As a result of the close proximity of hotels, early communities grew as a result of a multiplier effect (De Man, 2017). Commercial hotels were soon built in those cities, with the Grand Tour being the most well-known at the time.
Agricultural cities that were built grew to become industrial cities throughout the Industrial Period, resulting in large urbanization, the growth of middle-class inhabitants, improved education, and more free time as a result of paid leaves and the need for leisure. Industrialization aided the development of technology such as railroads, sailing ships, and vehicles, which made transportation more convenient. Improvements in transportation have aided in the formation of tour-operating firms (packaged cheap travel to far continents) (Cook and Marqua, 2016). In the twentieth century, this culminated in mass tourism.
Tourism is now a multi-participant activity with more educated and wealthy markets, and it is increasing at a quicker rate. It is now classified as an industry because of its contributions to citizens’ socioeconomic well-being in the form of direct and indirect employment, government revenue, infrastructure development, and GDP contribution, among other things. Modern tourism (De Man, 2017) includes leisure activities and is more organized as a result of numerous businesses such as principals, tour companies, and ground operators. As a result of globalization, modern tourism has become more complex. The desire for independence has resulted in a significant increase in independent travel.
20th Century Tourism in Europe
The Grand Tour is responsible for the emergence of urban mapping and interest in architectural history. The origins of tourism can be traced back to the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, when young British nobles traveled across continental Europe to complete their studies (Ninot and Claret, 2012). Modern tourism began with the discovery of nature and the practice of self-care. The industrial city had driven people away from the countryside, and the city’s pollution had put their health at jeopardy. Faced with these threats, a new health culture and a return to natural settings are emerging. For the wealthy, old spas have become a gathering place for leisure and entertainment.
Whilst the spa town grows, certain services for recreation are built up in the industrial city. The bourgeoisie creates its own places, some of which are modeled after those of the nobility, such as opera houses, lounges, and cafés. In Europe, the shift from aristocratic to popular tourism does not happen until the postwar years, when employees in the most industrialized countries obtain the right to paid vacations (Gyr, 2010). The acquisition of this privilege was the product of a long and laborious process that began in the late 1800s but did not become popular until after World War I, in order to meet the demands of the working classes as part of a plan to prevent communism from spreading.
Following WWII, the “Marshall Plan” aided in the consolidation of mass tourism in the two blocs into which the continent is split, but which follow distinct patterns. Hardly any nations in the Eastern Bloc had warm waters, and owing to their economic structure, they did not have the need or chance to grow in the way that the western Mediterranean region would (Khalil et al., 2007). Thus, social tourism in these nations is a continuation of totalitarian regimes’ paternalistic programs, which used the same urban structures and allowed the middle classes to visit the elite spas of the 1900s (Ninot and Claret, 2012).
Following WWII, the “Marshall Plan” aided in the consolidation of mass tourism in the two blocs into which the continent is split, but which follow distinct patterns. Hardly any nations in the Eastern Bloc had warm waters, and owing to their economic structure, they did not have the need or chance to grow in the way that the western Mediterranean region would (Gyr, 2010). Thus, social tourism in these nations is a continuation of totalitarian regimes’ paternalistic programs, which used the same urban structures and allowed the middle classes to visit the elite spas of the 1900s.
20th Century Tourism in North America
After the Civil War, tourism became more popular in North America, owing to the construction of railways, albeit it remained a privileged pastime (Gershon, 2016). Tourists did not take fast overnight excursions since transportation was sluggish and required previous planning. Vacations meant staying for a long time. That began to alter in the early twentieth century, when automobiles began to appear on the scene. Roadside campgrounds, cottages, and motels were erected by developers. Small, local attractions sprung up all around, while vehicle travel benefitted big sites (Jakle, 1985).
The creation of National Parks is without a doubt the most well-known characteristic of Western tourism growth. National parks, monuments, and recreational areas, as well as state parks, may now be found throughout the United States, attracting enormous crowds and having a significant economic impact (Weiss, 2004). Quantitative significance, on the other hand, is a twentieth-century phenomena. Some credit the parks with helping the Western region discover its identity and the nation come to grips with the tension between nature and economic growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (Weiss, 2004).
By 1930, more than 5% of the population had visited a well-known tourist spot each year, and many more had definitely stopped at more obscure locations, according to Weiss (2004). The concept of vacationing had begun to spread among the middle class. Although World War II created the fundamental structure of tourism, the scope of the industry altered drastically in the years after the war (Gershon, 2016). A tourist boom was fueled by the rise of vehicle ownership, growing middle-class affluence, newly created paid vacation benefits for many employees, and the introduction of air travel.
As transportation to and from cities improved, and towns built better lodgings and public areas, the number of people visiting cities for sightseeing rose during the century. After the Civil War, this expansion was accelerated, owing in part to railroad passenger departments’ attempts to recruit leisure travelers and the establishment of travel firms (Jakle, 1985). Sponsor organizations in destination cities, as well as the presence of world’s fairs and international expositions, all contributed to the expansion. The shift in the character of travel was most noticeable in the tourist lodgings. Despite the fact that many, if not most, motorists favored hotels in the early 1900s, a substantial proportion chose camping due to its reduced cost and independence (Weiss, 2004). The rise in popularity of vehicle camping prompted the development of public campsites, many of which were located in municipal parks.
Transport Revolution
Trains were the most advanced mode of transportation in the early twentieth century, with the railroad system being well-developed only in Europe and North America, i.e. in the world’s most developed countries, while the rest of the world had a poorly developed transportation system and infrastructure (Baranowski, 2007). Travel has been made much easier because to advancements in transportation. The extensive rise of nature tourism in the United States and abroad can be ascribed to the convenience and accessibility of contemporary transportation. The increased number of visitors to what were once distant locations has resulted in resource deterioration and harm, necessitating a re-evaluation of transportation’s role in the exercise (Sezgin and Yolal, 2012).
As railways, roadways, and later air travel decreased travel times and encouraged people to have more adventurous vacations, technological advancements played a significant role. The automobile’s invention was extremely significant. Although automobiles were uncommon at the start of the twentieth century, by the conclusion of the decade, there were millions cars on the road (Sorupia and Candidate, 2005). To cater to automobile-driven travelers, gas stations, motels, and diners arose swiftly.
Nonetheless, the construction of railroads, roads, and infrastructure around the world aided tourism development since better infrastructure and transit systems made travel easier. Furthermore, during the mid-twentieth century, their aviation sector had begun to expand fast. Indeed, aviation was growing in the mid-twentieth century, and air travel became quite popular and accessible to a great number of people. Furthermore, the tourism business has been growing since the mid-twentieth century, thanks to the aviation industry (Tamrat, 2016). However, it was not until the late twentieth century that the tourism business attained an unprecedented degree of development, and it continues to grow.
Through aggressive marketing of some far-off paradise with the availability of transportation, accessibility and tourist activities have broken down barriers and opened previously off-the-beaten-path locations to guests (Tamrat, 2016). Improvements in transportation modalities, combined with reduced rates, have made formerly off-the-beaten-path regions more accessible. Since the second half of the twentieth century, tourism has grown tremendously and continues to rise.
If we look at the World Tourism Organization’s statistics, we can observe that tourism dynamics have evolved and increased fast between the twentieth century and now (Tamrat, 2016). The rapid development of the transportation industry, as well as the use of technical breakthroughs, has enabled visitors to travel to many different parts of the world. Transportation is where the tourist’s journey begins and concludes. In this regard, the tourist sector substantially improved modes of transportation, pricing, availability, and accessibility beginning in the twentieth century, making travel considerably more pleasurable.
Tour Operation Businesses
In recent years, the travel agency industry has experienced rapid expansion. This burgeoning industry offers a plethora of income and career opportunities, as well as comprehensive travel solutions for today’s travelers. The travel agency industry was founded on trial and error, with the assistance of the community (History of Travel Agency and Tour Operation, n.d.). Gradually, the business expanded to such a size that it was formed into a sophisticated business by competing travel businesses all over the world. The nature of the firm was that it served as a sort of middleman, providing holiday-related services to those who were away from home. Travel agencies made every effort to ensure the highest level of service quality in order to increase customer satisfaction.
The founding of the famed Thomas Cook Travel Company in the mid-nineteenth century gave rise to the current travel agency industry. Many of their travel inventions and solutions are still widely used and implemented today. Travel companies began to grow in the mid-twentieth century, and the industry became increasingly competitive.
In the early twentieth century, airline numbers skyrocketed, resulting in a surge in demand for travel brokers. Clients in the middle and higher classes who had a lot of income to spend on vacations tended to employ travel agents (Cook and Marqua, 2016). Naturally, the travel business suffered a significant setback during WWII. Nevertheless, during the postwar years, when wealth was still poor, travel brokers were forced to respond to market demands by creating lower-cost packages that corresponded to lower airfares. As a result, travel became considerably more available to people of all ages.
Conclusion
As a result, it is fair to assert that technical and socio-cultural transformations, such as the development of transportation systems, telephony, and technological innovations, increasing economic and cultural cooperation between countries, and the increasing popularity of western culture around the world, have all contributed to the tourism industry’s consistent change. The tourism business no longer caters to the upper crust; instead, it has evolved into a mass-market enterprise. At the same time, the preceding changes influenced intended locations because people could travel not only within their own countries and regions, but also anywhere they wanted because they have economic ability to pursue globally and travel costs have decreased significantly since the early twentieth century.
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