The Evolution of International Tourism

Trace the course of tourism history from the 18th century Grand Tour to the present day. Discuss and evaluate the importance of broad economic and social developments, e.g. industrialisation, urbanisation, modernisation, in the growth of mass tourism and consider to what extent tourism in the 21st century, with its emphasis on ‘individual experience’, represents a ‘postmodern’ return to the pre-modernity of the Grand Tour.

THE EVOLUTION OF INTERTNAIONAL TOURISM
With economies growing on a daily basis across the world, an element to every economy, the word tourism receives a growing definition too. This can be interpreted as a leisure activity or a use of leisure time, with the exchange of the ordinary for the extraordinary, such an individual or group seeking this can be identified as tourists (lecture notes). Such interpretations have evolved over time from previous definitions to help represent the concept as successfully as it can. I will trace the course of tourism history from the 18th century Grand Tour to the present day. Discussing and evaluating the importance of broad economic and social developments, e.g. industrialisation, urbanisation, modernisation, in the growth of mass tourism and considering to what extent tourism in the 21st century, with its emphasis on ‘individual experience’, representing a ‘postmodern’ return to the pre-modernity of the Grand Tour with understanding of the historical and chronological evolution showing a clear chain of events that were affected. With this in prospective two main aspects can be evident, travelling- the action used by a tourist, and leisure the reason why the action is used by the tourist.

When tracing this it is evident going back so far as the demise of the Roman Empire we find a period called middle ages a time when the civilisation and progress of the Roman