Travel & Tourism: History Overview

The word or activity of tourism as defined by The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) goes like this, "Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to, and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes."

Old Castle

Let us elaborate this tourism definition a little bit now. How this definition relates to what we thought about it. First, tourism is travelling for the purposes of leisure, business or any other. Broadly the objective can be summed as either leisure or business. Second, it is going to and staying in places which are outside of one's usual environment. The environment mentioned here means the place of usual stay of a tourist which is their home town, city or country. In case of domestic tourism the environment would be their home town or city and in case of international tourism it would be the country they live in.

Democratization Of International Tourism

Transport innovation was an essential enabler of tourism’s spread and democratization and its ultimate globalization. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the steamship and the railway brought greater comfort and speed and cheaper travel, in part because fewer overnight and intermediate stops were needed. Above all else, these innovations allowed for reliable time-tabling, essential for those who were tied to the discipline of the calendar if not the clock.

Passenger train in London.

The gaps in accessibility to these transport systems were steadily closing in the later 19th century, while the empire of steam was becoming global. Railways promoted domestic as well as international tourism, including short visits to the coast, city, and countryside which might last less than a day but fell clearly into the “tourism” category. Rail travel also made grand tour destinations more widely accessible, reinforcing existing tourism flows while contributing to tensions and clashes between classes and cultures among the tourists. By the late 19th century, steam navigation and railways were opening tourist destinations from Lapland to New Zealand, and the latter opened the first dedicated national tourist office in 1901.

Thomas Cook Office in 19th Century

After World War II, governments became interested in tourism as an invisible import and as a tool of diplomacy, but prior to this time international travel agencies took the lead in easing the complexities of tourist journeys. The most famous

Thomas Cook

of these agencies was Britain’s Thomas Cook and Son organization, whose operations spread from Europe and the Middle East across the globe in the late 19th century. The role played by other firms not least because these agencies did not preserve their records, but they were equally important. Shipping lines also promoted international tourism from the late 19th century onward.

Tourism became even bigger business internationally in the latter half of the 20th century as air travel was progressively deregulated and decoupled from “flag carriers” (national airlines).

The airborne package tour to sunny coastal destinations became the basis of an enormous annual migration from northern Europe to the Mediterranean before extending to a growing variety of long-haul destinations, including Asian markets in the Pacific, and eventually bringing post communist Russians and

Earlier Airlines

eastern Europeans to the Mediterranean. From the 1990s the growth of flexible international travel through the rise of budget airlines, notably EasyJet and Ryanair in Europe, opened a new mix of destinations. Some of these were former Soviet-bloc locales such as Prague and Riga, which appealed to weekend and short-break European tourists who constructed their own itineraries in negotiation with local service providers, mediated through the airlines’ special deals. In international tourism, globalization has not been a one-way process; it has entailed negotiation between hosts and guests.

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism, also called health tourism, surgical tourism, or medical travel, international travel for the purpose of receiving medical care. Many patients engage in medical tourism because the procedures they seek can be performed in other countries at relatively low cost and without the delay and inconvenience of being placed on a waiting list. In addition, some patients travel to specific destinations to undergo procedures that are not available in their home country. Examples of such procedures include stem-cell transplants and gender-reassignment operations.

History And Growth Of Medical Tourism

Throughout history people have traveled long distances for health care. In ancient Greece, for example, worshippers of Asclepius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine, would make pilgrimages to his temple in Epidaurus, where they would undergo healing through “incubation rituals,” which were rooted in prayer, fasting, and ceremony. Likewise, spas and public baths have long been popular destinations for those seeking medical cures. In the 17th century the emergence of spa towns in appealing settings like the Pyrenees attracted wealthy people from all over Europe. In later centuries, as travel and tourism increased, spas and health resorts in countries worldwide often attracted clientele from overseas.

The practice of traveling internationally for surgery, however, is a relatively recent phenomenon. For example, Costa Rica experienced an influx of foreigners seeking cosmetic and dental surgery in the 1980s. By the 1990s physicians there actively worked to attract foreign patients, offering various types of plastic surgery, from face-lifts to liposuction, at low cost. Near the end of the first decade of the 21st century, an estimated 20,000–25,000 medical tourists visited Costa Rica, representing a significant increase over previous years. That growth appeared to parallel the worldwide boom in medical tourism that took place in the early 21st century. In 2010, for example, nearly 1.5 million Americans traveled outside their country for medical care—nearly twice the number from just three years earlier.

Destinations And Services Offered

Medical tourists may be citizens of developed or developing countries, although affluent individuals from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom account for a large proportion of the consumer base. Popular destinations for medical tourism include Brazil, Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Panama, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand. The types of health and medical clinics that cater to medical tourists are often state-of-the-art facilities and are staffed with physicians who possess advanced medical degrees. Medical tourism Web sites and travel agencies typically offer package deals, with recuperation from surgery advertised as vacation-like. Services offered range from cosmetic, cardiac, eye, dental, or orthopedic surgeries to psychiatric services and procedures such as gender-reassignment operations that may be socially or culturally unacceptable and hence unavailable in other countries.

History of Tourism in India

Indian history dates back to 3000 BC. Excavations in Punjab and Gujarat reveal that the Indus Valley civilization was a highly developed urban civilization. In fact the two cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, situated on two sides of the river Ravi , are known to have been built on a similar plan. But that only meant a new wave of urbanization was taking place along the Ganges around 1500 BC. This has been recorded in the Rig Veda - the earliest known literary source composed in this period that sheds light on India 's past.

By 6th century BC, the Magadh rulers dominated the Northern plains. It was also the time when new thinking emerged in the form of Buddhism and Jainism to challenge Hindu orthodoxy. The Magadh rule was followed by the rule of Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 B.C.), one of India 's greatest emperors. The Mauryan reign peaked under the reign of Ashoka the Great who extended his empire from the Kashmir and Peshawar in the North to Mysore in the South and Orissa in the East. Not only was Ashoka a great ruler, he was one of the most successful propagators of Buddhism in the country. After Ashoka's death in 232 B.C. the empire began to disintegrate and the country was repeatedly raided and plundered by foreign invaders, leaving India disunited and weak for the next 400 years. Stability returned with the reign of Chandra Gupta I (380-412 A.D.). His rule is considered the golden period in Indian history when art and culture flourished and the country prospered. Unlike the North of India, foreign invasions had little impact on life in South India which also saw the rise and decline of many empires. These included the Cholas whose rule extended to Sri Lanka and South East Asia , the Pandyas, the Cheras, the Pallavas and the Chalukyas. Under the various rulers, arts and craft in the South also saw the emergence of various styles of architecture and some of the grandest architectural accomplishments in the South - the most famous being the exquisitely crafted Chola bronzes. These were followed by the Hoysala and the Vijaynagar empires - among the greatest Hindu empires.

The Muslim Invasions

The first Muslim invasions of the country started with the Mahmud of Gazni, who plundered the sub-continent for its riches between 1001 and 1025. Later Mohamed Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan, the Tomar ruler of Delhi and left it in charge of his deputy, Qutub-ud-din, the man who built the Qutub Minar in Delhi . His rule was followed by that of the Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi dynasties. Known as the Sultanate of Delhi, it was during this period that the Muslim rulers introduced Islamic concepts of society and governance to most of the sub-continent, though the South remained largely untouched. In 1525, Babur, a descendant of Timur, as well as Genghis Khan invaded Punjab and eventually founded the Mughal empire in India . His rule was followed by that of his son Humayun. Humayun was ousted by Afghan chieftain Sher Shah but resumed power after Sher Shah's death. Sher Shah is, however, remembered as the one to build the Grand Trunk road spanning from Peshawar to Patna . Humayun's reign was followed up by his son Akbar who actually consolidated power and extended the empire across North India and parts of South India . One of India 's wisest rulers and most able administrators, Akbar's reign is considered to be one of the best the country has known. Akbar was succeeded by Jahangir, followed by his son Shah Jahan - best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid. Shah Jahan's reign was followed by Aurangzeb's. The death of Aurangzeb saw the decline of the Mughal rule in India .

British Rule

Over the centuries India had always been attractive to traders, and one of the first Europeans to come to India was the Portuguese trader Vasco da Gama who landed at Calicut , sailing via the Cape of Good Hope in 1498. The Portuguese established their colony in Goa in the 16th Century but they did not expand it though their rule continued till 1961. Vasco da Gama was followed by the French, the Dutch and the English, all of whom were lured by the commercial interests that India offered. By the last quarter of the 18th century the English established themselves as the dominant power in India and they set about making revolutionary changes in the social, political and the economic life of the country.

Towards Independence The disintegration of the Mughal empire, fighting among the Maratha rulers and inability of the various rulers across the country to unite against a common enemy saw the British consolidate their position in the country.

However, the 19th century saw a revival of national pride and social reform and the Indians began to tire of the suppressive British rule. Things reached a flash point in the second half of the 19th century when the first war of independence in 1857 broke out in Meerut . It was sparked off by the introduction of a new rifle and cartridge by the British in the Army. The cartridges which soldiers had to bite off, allegedly contained pork and beef tallow, which offended the religious sentiments of both Hindus and Muslims. The soldiers rebelled, reached Delhi and proclaimed Bahadurshah Zafar the sovereign ruler of India . They were eventually overpowered by the British. But there was no looking back for the Indians who wanted social reform and freedom. The Indian National Congress was set up and educated Indians started formulating strategies to assert their birthright to independence. The anti-British sentiment became a mass movement with the arrival of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who devised a unique strategy for India 's freedom struggle based on non-violence and civil disobedience. He conceived and led the non-cooperation movement in 1922, the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and the Quit India Movement in 1942. All of which pushed the British into agreeing to transfer power on August 15, 1947, the day that is now celebrated as India 's Independence Day. Today, India is the world's largest democracy with a federal form of government.

On India historical tourism, study the long and eventful history of the country that is as vast and as rich the country itself. Explore the forts, palaces, temples, mosques, churches, schools, tombs, cemeteries, victory pillars and places built by various builders at various points of time during their rules on India historical tourism. These monuments of the past have stood the vagaries of time to tell the story of their inception, beauty, grace, love, passion, art and architecture. Most of the famous Indian cities have a rich history worth knowing and important sites worth visiting on India historical tourism.

Agra

The city of Agra is known to be in existence since the period of Mahabharata when it was known as Agravan and believed to be the part of the Brij-Bhoomi. Made the capital cities by Raja Badal Singh, Sikander Lodi and Babur, the city rise to fame only after the Mughal Emperor Akbar ruled from here. Visit the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah, Akbar's Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri and other smaller monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Aurangabad

Aurangabad enjoys a strategic location in the central India from where the north India can have a good control over the Deccan. It's important positioning was first realized by Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq who established his capital at Deogir and re-named it as Daulatabad. But the city has got its name from the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb who made this city as his seat of power to control his vast empire. Visit the Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Aurangabad Caves, Bibi ka Maqbara, Daulatabad Fort, Pithalkhora Caves, Paithan and other places to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Bodhgaya

Bodhgaya is the place where Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the papal tree and became 'The Buddha' or 'The Enlightened One'. 13 km from Gaya in Bihar, Bodhgaya is the place where the birth of Buddhism took place. Visit the Mahabodhi Temple, Mahabodhi Tree, Vajrasana, Ancient Railing, Lotus Tank, Chankaramana, Animeshlochana and Ratnagar to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Chittorgarh

The legendary city of romance and chivalry, Chittorgarh was brought in dowry by the last Solanki princess when she married Bappa Rawal, the legendary founder of the Sisodia dynasty in the middle of the 8th century AD. Spread over a 7-mile long hill, the city was sacked three times in the period of history due to its strategic location. Visit the Chittorgarh Fort, Vijay Stambha, Kirti Stambha, Rana Kumbha's Palace, Rani Padmini's Palace, Kumbha Shyam Temple and other places to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Delhi

Delhi has traveled a long way since it became the capital of the Pandavas becoming the capital of India eight times. If you pass through the city, you will come across various monuments big and small, some in good condition while some dilapidated, that will remind you about the glory royalty that once this city has seen. The modern structures are reminder of the British rule and contemporary structures are there to indicate the progress that the city has made over the centuries. There are several places to visit in Delhi so plan out your tour in such a manner that you get to see most of what Delhi has to offer to you.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad was established in 1591-92 AD by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah on the banks of river Musi five miles from Golconda. Since then, the city has grown tremendously in size, economy and fame. Visit Charminar, Golconda Fort, Mecca Masjid, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Falaknuma Palace, Salrajung Museum and other places to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Jaipur

Jaipur is the brainchild of the Kachhwaha King, Sawai Jai Singh who came up with the idea to build the first planned city of India in 1713 AD. His ideas were effectively complimented by a very talented Bengali architect, Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, who planned the city on the basis of the principles laid down in ancient Indian treatise on architecture, Shilpa Shastra and ancient Indian science of architecture, Vastu Shastra. The foundation was laid in 1727 AD and the work was accomplished in 1731 AD. Visit the City Palace and Museum, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Amber Fort, Nahargarh Fort and several other monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer was established by Bhati Rajput Rao Jaisal in the year1156 AD. The city was named after his name. Visit the Jaiselmer Fort, Patwaon-Ki-Haveli, Nathamlji-Ki-Haveli, Salim Singh-Ki-Haveli, Gadsisar Lake and several other monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Jodhpur Jodhpur was the capital of the Kingdom of Marwar. The foundation of the modern state of Jodhpur was laid down by Sir Pratap Singh and followed by Maharaja Umaid Singh. Visit the Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jaswant Thada and several other monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Khajuraho

Khajuraho is a small village in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. The village are celebrated the world over for beautiful stone temples that mark the culmination of temple architecture in India. Hidden deep in the forts, the temples were first discovered by T.B. Burt, a British engineer in 1838 AD. The temples were patronized by the Chandela kings between 950 AD and 1050 AD. The temples are significant for their perfect craftsmanship and refined sculpting. Out of the 85 temples, only 22 are left today. Visit the Western, Eastern and Southern Group of Temples to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Konark

Konark was the part of the Kalinga Empire and a busy harbor during ancient times. 65 km from Bhubaneshwar, Konark is better known for the Sun Temple. Some traditions believe that King Narshimadeva I of the Ganga Dynasty built the famous temple dedicated to Sun God while some local traditions say that Samba, the son of Lord Krishna constructed the temple in honor of Sun God who had cured him of leprosy that occurred due to his father's curse after he underwent severe penance for 12 year.

Madurai

Madurai is one of the oldest cities in India, as it history dates back to the Sangam Period. It is believed that Madurai derives its name from 'Madhuram' or 'Nectar' that fell from the locks of Lord Shiva when he came to bless the people of the city for construction of a Shiva temple. It was a glorious and prosperous city during the Sangam Age as well as under the dominance of the Vijaynagar Empire. Visit the Meenakshi Temple, Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, Gandhi Museum, Vaniyur Mariamman Teppakulam and other smaller monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram was founded by the King Narsimhavarman I, son of King Mahendravarman. The city was named as Mahamallapuram meaning 'City of the Warriors' after his title 'Mahamalla'. Visit the Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance, Ganesh Ratha, Trimurti Cave Temple, Five Rathas and other smaller monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Mumbai

Better known as Commercial Capital of India, Mumbai comprises of 7 islands, namely, Colaba, Mazagaon, Old Woman's Island, Wadala, Mahim, Parel and Matunga-Sion on the central-western coast along the Arabian Sea. Visit the Gateway of India, Elephanta Caves, Sir Pherozashah Mehta Gardens or the Hanging Gardens, Flora Fountain, Chowpatty Beach, Prince of Wales Museum of Western India or Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya and several other places to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Mysore

Situated 140 km from Bangalore on the southern part of the Deccan Plateau, Mysore was the capital of the Wodeyar Dynasty. Also known as 'City of Palaces', Mysore is lined wit splendid palaces, well laid gardens, magnificent temples and striking buildings. Visit the Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills, Brindavan Gardens, St. Philomena's Church, Mysore Zoo, The Art Gallery and other smaller monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Udaipur

Udaipur was the capital of Mewar Kingdom and established in 1567 AD. Mewar is the oldest surviving dynasty in the world. Visit the City Palace, Sajjan Garh or the Monsoon Palace, Sahelion ki Bari, Fateh Sagar Lake and several other monuments to learn the real grandeur of the city.

Varanasi

aranasi is supposedly the oldest city in the world with a mention in the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Located on the semi-circular left bank of River Ganga, Varanasi derives its name from the two rivers that flows across the city, namely, Varuna and Asi. Visit the Kashi Vishwanatha Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Alamgir Mosque, Banaras Hindu University, Archaeological Museum, the Ghats and several other monuments to learn the real grandeurhe grandeur of the city.

Ayodhya

Ayodhya is located in District Faizabad of Uttar Pradesh state. The city has religious value for Hindus as it is know and famous for Lord Rama birth place. Recently state government has change the district name and named it as Ayodhya instead of Faizabad and Indian Prime Minister participated in "Bhoomi Poojan Ceremony" at the Lord Rama birth place to start the construction of most awaiting Shri Ram Mandir which was earlier declared by Indian Supreme court after a long dispute.

PryagRaaj

Earlier known as Allahpur and Allahabad and known as Pryagraaj in anceint Vadic history, the city is located in Uttat Pradesh District of India. The city is famouse for its religious value, Rivers "Ganaga, Yamuna & Saraswati Sangam", temples and education. In Vedic Era, Saint Bhardwaj Ashram was there at this place where thousands of students were staying in "Ashrams"for their education as per ancient history.