the origins of travel for pleasure

The origins of travel for pleasure
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Abstract
The paper traces the roots of travel for pleasure. It also assesses its development to put more emphasis on the fact that the practice is not something new as it is a process which has distinguished and defined the behavior of humans. To have an extensive understanding of this phenomenon, it is necessary to consider the phases it has gone through and the factors that have influenced its growth, for instance, economic and social changes in the society, technological factors and the general development in a region such as improved infrastructure. Contrary to what scholars and students think, travel for pleasure has a long history. Additionally, the paper touches on ways travel for pleasure influence the growth of a nation or a region. Towards the conclusion, it highlights the importance of tourism to a county’s economy. Finally, the paper pinpoints different steps that various countries have taken to reap the benefits resulting from travel for pleasure which is something prevalent in this era.
Keywords: Travel for pleasure, origin, modern era

The origins of travel for pleasure
Traveling started a long time ago, and humans would travel to various places because of multiple reasons. However, visiting places just for fun is comparatively a recent trend. Whereas early humans moved to different places in search of food as well as other essentials for survival, afterward, traveling was mainly for trading.

As the wealthy class of people evolved, traveling to different regions of the world to experience diverse cultures, art, as well as cuisines, started to be dominant. The terms tourism and tourist were conceived before 19th century commenced. On the other hand, traveling for pleasure for a common man was not a near reality. This paper traces the roots of traveling for pleasure.
Travel for pleasure began in the United Kingdom, and it can be drawn from the industrial revolution era. Wealthy Romans would visit famous hot springs and coastal resorts. A custom of grand tour existed from around 1660. The Europeans, mainly from the upper classes would travel around Europe to places like Geneva, Paris, Rome, and Berlin. Leisure activities, as well as leisure time, became popular among the middle class consisting of industrial revolution high classes (Butler, 2014). These were factory owners, traders, wealthy farmers and machine owners, just to mention a few. It was during this time (1758) when Cox & Kings, the first travel company was formed, and it was mainly for factory owners (Getz, 2008). Travelling for pleasure, steadily evolved till it became a trend to travel to tropics having pleasant weather during summers and winter. Travel for pleasure expanded and became increasingly affordable with the improvement in the lives of many individuals. In the second half of 20th century, leisure travel was popular, and many people traveled in large numbers
In the course of the tour, the young nobles would visit aristocratic estates as well as royal courts since among the objectives was exposing them social graces and teaching them appropriate etiquette through practice. The young aristocrats took part in festivals and parties, attended princely audiences, and also learned court behavior plus ways to behave themselves. For that reason, the aristocrats’ social, political, and professional concerns were the determinants of the tours, and they also dictate the destination (Mowforth & Munt, 2015). In doing so, they would consider their interests in areas such as leisure, art as well as pleasure. The last phase of traveling for pleasure was during the post-war periods, and it stretched to the present. The practice received a boost from the improvement in infrastructure and construction renovation of holidaying which become a frequent form of recreation.
Currently, travel for pleasure is something common. It is among major ways people spend their free time. Similarly, it is a crucial area that influences the manner which the economy of a nation develops. Generation of jobs and income creation are some of the benefits of travel for pleasure. It is one of the significant sources of welfare for many countries and regions of the world. Due to the benefits, it comes with it, many nations have embraced it by developing various sources of attractions, for instance, different sporting activities, cultural activities as well as scenic attractions. When it comes to education, travel for pleasure enables people to see different traditions, other people and the world as a whole. This is in line with the saying that traveling expands and it is entirely true.

References
Getz, D. (2008). Event tourism: Definition, evolution, and research. Coris.uniroma1.it. Retrieved 4 February 2018, from http://www.coris.uniroma1.it/sites/default/files/12.08.39_Event%20Toursm%20_GETZ.pdf
Mowforth, M., & Munt, I. (2015). Tourism and sustainability: Development, globalisation and new tourism in the third world. Routledge.
Butler, R. (2014). The evolution of tourism and tourism research. Taylor &Francis Online. Retrieved 4 February 2018, from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02508281.2015.1007632?src=recsys&journalCode=rtrr20