Evolution of Tourism

By lugalner
  • 4000 BCE

    Sumerian civilization

    Sumerian civilization developed multiple efforts to enrich human communication through commerce by money, first written language, first sailboats, wheels and roads.
  • Oct 25, 1550

    "Grand Tour" / "Tourism"

    First appeared the term “Grand tour” (wich became on “Tourism” concept of nowadays). When young men of upper class finished university they had the costume of travelling abroad for over six months before they came back to France.

  • Steam engine.

    James Watt developed remarkable improvements on the design of Newcomen engine, predecesor of steam engines. His machine was a success and became the best option to move great machinery, it was used to revolucionary applications to transport.

  • Thomas Cook's invention of professional tourism

    Thomas Cook found the first international travel company after he was arraging meetings of a temperance supporters group. The problem was that every member had to get the meeting by their own. So he proposed to engage a special train for 500 people to carry everyone and meet in other town. This travel was the first arranged tourist route wich became in the first route around the world.

  • Orient Express

    George Nagelmackers founded Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, which created the Orient Express, a long-distance passenger train that travelled (and still does) through Europe and ended in Turkey.

  • First modern Olimpic Games

    It took place in Athens. 241 athletes from 14 countries participated on events of 9 sports. Attendance and economic impact was impressive. This was the beggining of a world wide tradition that today remains, once every 4 years.

  • National Board of Tourism

    National Board of Tourism is created in Spain with the purpose of promoting Spain as a travel destination in international congresses. Also, it developed the first promoting posters through national contests, published tour guides, art books and stablished the first orientation of Spanish brand marketing.

  • Ministry of Tourism

    Franco’s government creates Ministry of Tourism. Tourism was recognised as one of the economic pillars of the country but marketing about Spain was generalistic, as it was just one-faced Spain. Also, there were arranged first tourist routes (War routes) all along fascist regions of Spain.

  • SIAL (Global Food Marketplace Exposition)

    It was first stablished in Paris (specialised in food processing industry) and 26 countries participated on it. This trade fair have been held every two years (still does), in a different country each time.

  • First appareance of Internet

    USA government developed first virtual network. Focused to military purposes. It was called Arpanet and was linked between four computers located in different USA universities. 40 computers were linked two years later. In 2015, 3.010 billion computers were connected all around the world.

  • Seville Expo '92

    The Universal Exposition of Seville was, in fact, a lucky chance of Spain to demonstrate what it had to show to the world (because the cancellation of “Chicago Expo ‘92”. There were built new roads and highways, a new rail central station, airport was enlarged and AVE train was created. 112 countries were represented and 41 million visitors went to the Expo.

  • DIA Plan about developing of tourism in Andalusia

    Andalusia government (now an autonomus community) needed to update its image and the unsuccesful ways of promotion. So it produced the plan of Comprehensive Development of Tourism in Andalusia (aka "DIA Plan"). Its purpose was the ordinance, planning and tourist promotion of whole Andalusia tourist industry.