A Chronological Exploration of Key Influences on the Development of Tourism

Abstract

Contemporary tourism is often accepted as the direct heir of the European Grand Tour in the 18th century, which in turn succeeded the Age of Discovery during the 15th 17th centuries (Chaney, 1998). However, a closer look into the subject reveals the existing tourism ecosystem has deeper roots (Morère Molinero, 2021). It encompassed various reasons for travel – for trade, pilgrimages and diplomacy, among other purposes. The values that emerged from the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolutions, in addition to the gradual crystallization of capitalism, were instrumental in shaping new geopolitical structures worldwide, in which Europe occupied the hegemonic centre (Towner, 1985; Bertrand, 2008). At the same time, these major events transformed the forms and rhythms of both life and work in Europe.