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Period: 400 to Jan 1, 1400
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, few people traveled unless they had to. Travel was slow, difficult, and often dangerous. There were religious pilgrimages to shrines, which became some of the first tourist attractions. -
Period: to
Grand Tour
The degree of continuity and change in the character of the tour is assessed and major changes are attributed primarily to the changing social class of the tourists. The 1820s and 1830s are identified as an important transition period in the development of a more formalized tourist industry. -
First Motor Car
The automobile entered the transportation market as a toy for the rich. However, it became increasingly popular among the general population because it gave travelers the freedom to travel when they wanted to and where they wanted. -
Period: to
Industrial Revoloution
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First Steam Ship
The passenger ship industry flourished in the late 1800s and early 1900s, courtesy of the steam engine. People were traveling back and forth between England and New York for business or holiday. When the arrival of the airplane took over their business, shipping companies changed their business model to focus on tourism, creating the cruise ship. -
Thomas Cook
Cook established 'inclusive independent travel', whereby the traveller went independently but his agency charged for travel, food and accommodation for a fixed period over any chosen route. -
First Commercial Airplane Flight
Planes were able able to be mass produced, so more companies would compete with one another for customers and destination cities. Airports began to spring up all over the US, allowing people to go from city to city with more ease than ever before. -
Attack on Twin Towers
Tourism in New York City plummeted, causing massive losses in a sector which employed 280,000 people and generated $25 billion per year. In the week following the attack, hotel occupancy fell below 40%, and 3,000 employees were laid off. Tourism, hotel occupancy and air travel also fell drastically across the nation.[citation needed] The reluctance to fly may have been due to increased fear of a repeat attack. -
Global Financial Crisis Started
Over time, more and more destinations have opened up and invested in tourism development, turning modern tourism into a key driver for socioeconomic progress. Tourism has become one of the major international trade categories. Today, the export income generated by international tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals and automotive products. For many developing countries, it is one of the main income sources and the number one export category, creating much needed employment and opportunitie
