Top 10 Tourist Attractions of Egypt

Egypt is located in North Africa and is among the top most tourist destinations of the world. No other country comes even closer to Egypt when it comes to the number of magnificent monuments, activities and historical attractions. More than ninety percent of all Egyptian attractions are lined up along the river Nile. Many places can therefore visited by taking a cruise in the Nile river (besides road and air travel). Since it is a popular tourist destination Egypt offers extensive facilities for tourists.

Top 10 attractions of Egypt are:

1. PYRAMIDS: There are more than 80 pyramids in Egypt which were built mostly between 2600 BC and 1500 BC and all are situated close to the Nile river. After the ruler died (or other prominent royal figures like queens), their bodies were wrapped and preserved as a mummy, and placed in the Pyramid. The most popular pyramids are the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx: An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 workers built the Pyramids at Giza over 80 years. Giza also has the largest pyramid also known as "Great Pyramid" which rises an amazing 481 feet.

2. CAIRO: It is the capital of Egypt. Popular attractions of Cairo include:

a) Khan al-Khalili market: Khan al-Khalili is one of the largest markets in the world which attracts both local's and international tourists. This is a great place to but exotic perfume bottles, Arabic clothing and other souvenirs.

b) Egyptian Museum of Antiquities: It have over hundred thousand artifacts in 107 halls. The most popular attraction is the Tutankhamun Gallery.

c) Other attractions are Pyramids of Giza (mentioned above) and Old Cairo.

3. ABU SIMBEL: It was carved out of sandstone cliffs high above the River Nile. The most famous attraction are the four colossal 20m-high statues of Ramses II guarding the entrance. When the waters of Lake Nasser to rise, UNESCO relocated them to a high ground between 1964 and 1968.

4.KARNAK TEMPLES: It is a huge complex comprising of three main temples and many smaller ones, most famous among them is the Temple of Amun. It is estimated that they were built in a time span of 1300 years.

5: LUXOR TEMPLE: The modern town of Luxor is the site of the famous city of Thebes,( or the city of a hundred gates). A row of sphinxes line the entrance to Karnak Temple. The most famous section of these temples is a huge all called the Great Hypostyle Hall.

6: SIWA OASIS: The area is famous for its dates and olives, and is one of the most beautiful landscapes and springs in Egypt. It was the most inaccessible oasis until recently. It lies 60 feed below sea level.

7: NUBIAN MUSEUM OF ASWAN: It is designed to house the fantastic collection items unearthed from the archaeological excavations during the Nubia Campaign.

8. VALLEY OF THE KINGS: The Valley of the Kings is located on the West Bank of the River Nile in Thebes. There are 62 tombs in the valley. It has two components - the East Valley and the West Valley. It is the East Valley which most tourists visit and in which most of the tombs of the New Kingdom Pharaohs can be found.

9: ALEXANDRIA: Best places to see are - Pompey's Pillar,Bibliotheca Alexandria, Alexandria National Museum, King Farouk Palace and the Roman Amphitheater.

10: SHARM EL SHEIKH: Best places to see are - Sinai Mountain, Na'ama Bay,Tiran Island, Terrazzina Beach and White Lagoon.

Other attractions of Egypt include the White Desert, Hurghada and Felucca on the Nile.

SAFETY INFORMATION: There were some terrorist bombings reported in Egypt in last few years. Check travel.state.gov for additional information. Overall the crime rate in Egypt is low. Visitors should consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling. Egypt has high road fatalities rate so you should prefer not to drive yourself unless you feel comfortable.

For complete information on Egypt tourism visit : http://www.travelandtourisminfo.com/Egypt/Egypt-Travel.asp

Seeing in Ancient Egypt in Cairo the Great Pyramids

Seeing the Great Pyramids, one of the ancient wonders of the world, is a once in a lifetime trip for many people. Because of the travel distances involved for most tourists who go to Egypt, advance planning is definitely required. In many cases, a visa from an Egyptian consulate would be required in advance of a trip. There are many tour agencies located around the world with access to organized trips to Egypt that would make things much easier for many travelers. There are even Egyptian Tourist Authority offices located in Europe, North America and Japan to help with information on travel to Egypt.

Once in the capital city of Cairo, one should be prepared as it is a very large city of 83 square miles with 16 million inhabitants. It is not a picturesque city for tourists but instead it is noisy, polluted, crowded and very chaotic. However, this is the entry point for most travelers to Egypt and the base for some famous sights such as the Great Pyramids. Tourists can travel to other parts of Egypt which will be more pleasant and less busy for other ancient Egyptian ruins but a short stay in Cairo is still warranted in order to catch what's located in the capital. One definitely does not want to drive in Cairo as the traffic is just crazy. Either take organized tours booked in advance or take taxis to leave the driving to the locals. Good hotels are available in Cairo including many of the worldwide chains. Like many other large crowded urban cities, one should be careful especially for pickpockets so take the necessary personal security precautions.

The Great Pyramids and the Sphinx of course are the main attractions here. They are located in the Giza plateau just outside the city. There are three pyramids with the largest being the Great Pyramid built by King Cheops in 2650 BC. The second pyramid was built by King Chephren, Cheops' son and the third by King Mycerinus, son of Chephren. Of course the photo opportunities at the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx are just wonderful. Sometimes, it is possible to enter the insides of the pyramids for an extra admission charge but this is not a recommended option for those who are claustrophobic. The tunnels leading into the inner burial chambers of each pyramid are not comfortable at all. One pretty well must walk down in a crouching position all the way until the burial chambers are reached since the tunnels are quite long and not very high. The insides of the pyramids are also not air conditioned so temperatures are hot but at least the entire path is now electrically lit. When one makes this trip down to the burial chambers, it is fascinating to think about the conditions the original grave robbers must have went through as there were no lights and it's a long way down. They certainly had their work cut out for them.

Outside on site, there are numerous hustlers offering camel rides. They are a real novelty since there are not many opportunities to ride a camel in the desert with the Great Pyramids in the background. But be warned that some of these hustlers will try and get as much out of the unsuspecting tourist as possible. Negotiate with a few of them before hand. One ride was bargained for the equivalent of $7 US which is quite reasonable. After the ride was paid for, the camel owner passed over the actual duties of working the ride to his teenage son. During the ride, his son kept hinting that he expected a tip. At the end, a $2 US tip was offered but the son was expecting a ridiculous amount of $30 US and got angry when he realized that amount wasn't going to happen. The tour bus driver who was watching the entire incident had to come over to 'rescue' the tourist. The problem with many of these local hustlers is that they think that most tourists have mountains of cash. Polite customer service attitudes are just not priority with many of them.

There are other important Egyptian ruins within the Cairo area as well including Memphis which has the giant statue of Ramses II. Some of the important ancient Egyptian attractions are housed within the Egyptian Museum, another must-see attraction. The treasures of King Tutankhamun including the famous gold mask are at the Egyptian Museum. The treasures are extremely impressive as each object was made with such fine detail and remember that they were made thousands of years ago. It is interesting to note that although Tutankhamun's treasures are impressive, the boy king was not one of the major pharaohs. So one can just imagine what the treasures of the other pharaohs would have been like. It's too bad that the grave robbers got to them first. The other antiquities at the museum are also quite impressive so one can easily spend a good portion of the day here.

Egypt's population is 94% Muslim and 6% Coptic Christian. As expected, there are some marvelous looking mosques in Cairo that are worth seeing and they would usually be in the agenda of most organized tours. The markets such as the Khan El-Khalili bazaar are interesting experiences too. At these markets, one can shop for spices, perfumes, jewelry, brass, copperware, ceramics, fabrics including Egyptian cotton and many more souvenir items including replicas of ancient Egyptian treasures. Be prepared to shop around and bargain though. Prices for the same items can vary greatly at different shops. Even though many shop owners will tend to be nice at first offering potential customers a soft drink or a cup of tea, the Egyptians are hard sellers and will put on the pressure to buy. Most prices can be brought down even if the sellers appear irritated. Some will even follow customers out the door still trying to get the sale. So be warned that the Egyptian markets are not relaxed places to shop.

To get change of pace, one can take a ride on the river Nile on local sailboats called feluccas. However, if one is going to travel to other parts of Egypt, a ride on a felucca will be even better further away from Cairo since the locations will be quieter and more peaceful. There are some restaurants located in Cairo with surprisingly pleasant outdoor terraces overlooking the city and the Great Pyramids in the distance. The tour guides will know where they are and will likely include one in the tour's itinerary.

One thing that tourists will have to get use to while in Cairo and other parts of Egypt is the sight of many uniformed security personnel armed with machine guns. They are stationed at all the tourist sights including the ancient ruins, airports and the Egyptian Museum. At many locations, they will perform a search on all tourists including their bags before entry is allowed. Tourism is Egypt's main industry and the government vowed to protect it, especially after 9/11. So a trip to Cairo and Egypt will be quite an adventure for any tourist but it is the Great Pyramids of ancient Egypt after all.

Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.

The Karnak Temple, Egypt

The temple of Karnak is the largest temple in the world! The complex contains a group of temples as the Great Temple of Amon Ra, The Temple of Khonso, The Ipt Temple, The Temple of Ptah, the Temple of Montho and temple of the god Osiris. A high wall of mud brick enclosure 20 meters, surrounded by all these buildings.
This great temple of Amon Ra experienced during the Middle Kingdom Ipt-SWT, which means that selected point. He was also called Pr-Imn, which means the house of Amun. The name Al-Karnak in Arabic was derived from Karnak, which means fortified village, probably because the Arabs found many Temples and buildings in the area when they first entered.
On his way to the entrance, there is an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, which was built to protect the temple. There are 20 rams on each side, extending from the small port of the first tower, which was built in the time of King Nektanebo I (30th Dynasty). Crossing this tower, which leads to an open courtyard, whose dimensions are100m long by 80m wide, built during Dynasty 22, and containing rows of bud papyrus columns.

In the middle of the first public hearing, there is a huge column, which is 21 m high and has a capital of papyrus bud. This part is known as the kiosk of Taharqa who ruled during Dynasty 25 This is the left column of a colonnade that once had 10 columns only.
On the left side of this Court, there are three chapels, which were built by King Seti II of the "triad of Thebes." On the right side is the temple of Ramses III. This temple has a small tower, a courtyard and open pillared hall leading to the sanctuary.

Horemheb built the second tower during the 18th dynasty, but is now badly damaged. Ramses I, founder of the 19th dynasty, supplemented later. Place the second tower, we entered the great hall of columns, measuring 103m long and 52m wide. Contains 134 papyrus columns; each column is approximately 22 meters high and 3.5 m in diameter. Amenhotep III built and Ramses I, Seti I and Ramses II decorated, while King Seti I built the other 122 columns and 14 rows.
The ceiling in the center is higher than the side, which allows light in this place, which was the processional avenue of the Triad during the festival of OPET. Scenes from the living columns represent King Seti I, before various deities, making offerings, while the south wall is decorated with scenes of Ramesses II, making offerings to various deities and worship the Triad of Thebes.

The hypostyle hall leads to the third tower, which was built by Amenhotep III. It is noteworthy that the stones found for previous periods embedded in this tower, for example, marble alabaster Amenhotep I!

Across the third pylon reaches a rectangular open courtyard, known as the Court of Tuthmosis I. In this court, Tuthmosis I erected two obelisks that this area was probably the main entrance of the temple during his reign. Unfortunately, only one survived obelisk: 19m tall and about 310 tons.

Court of Thutmose, we come to the fourth pylon, which also I have built Thutmose; beyond which is a rectangular column, which thus constructed. When Hatshepsut ascended the throne, she has built two obelisks in the colonnade, the left is still in its original position: 29500000 tall, 322-ton, red granite!
After the death of Queen Hatshepsut, King Tuthmoses III built a long high wall around these two obelisks to hide.

Fifth Pylon, again built by Tuthmosis I, is damaged on both sides of the entrance, Thutmose III built two small rooms.

We are now in the sixth tower, which was built by Tuthmosis III. Beyond this pylon Tuthmosis III built his famous hall, known as the Ancestral Home. The shrine was built by Tuthmosis III, but Philip Arridaeus, the half-brother of Alexander the Great, rebuilt later.

The sanctuary was built of granite, and was dedicated to the sacred boat of Amun Ra. Behind the shrine, you will see a court, which dates back to the Middle Kingdom. This is a large open courtyard that is now severely damaged. Chances are that this place was the site of an ancient temple, dating from the time of the Middle Kingdom: the origin of the temple of Karnak.

Top Holiday Destinations of World

Do you love traveling? If so, enjoy visiting some of the popular tourist destinations spread across the globe with your near and dear ones. These destinations will not only provide you a relief from the maddening city life but will also mesmerize your five senses and you will feel like visiting them again and again. Just check them out!

List of Top Holiday Destinations of World

Some of the renowned tourist destinations in the world include:

Egypt: Enjoy a trip to Egypt and watch the beautiful pyramids located close to river Nile. You can also visit Nubian Museum of Aswan, Luxor Temple, the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and even the capital of Egypt, Cairo, where you will find the Pyramids of Giza, Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and the world famous Khan el-Khalili market known for exotic Arabic perfumes, Arabic dresses and other items.

Maldives: Maldives is also one of the sought after tourist destinations among travelers across the globe. Simply relax on the beautiful palm laced beaches and indulge yourself in some of the adventurous sports like scuba diving, snorkeling and watching the underwater corals. Also, do not forget to visit Baa Atoll, Kudahuvadhoo and Fuamulaku which are some of the other must see tourist attractions in Maldives.

Singapore: The happening island country of Singapore is always bustling with people from far and wide. Peranakan Museum, Jurong Bird Park, Sentosa Underwater World, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Night Safari are some of the popular tourist attractions in Singapore. As far as shopping in Singapore is concerned, you can enjoy shopping at VivoCity, Orchard Road, Sim Lim Square and Bugis Street.

Morocco: There are a large number of tourist attractions in Morocco. You can enjoy a glimpse of the cool blue water and the hot white sand of the desert. Moreover the view of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains is also a treat for the eyes. The must-see places in Morocco include El Bahia Palace, Friouato Caves, Citadel of Chellah Gardens, Mamora Forest, Menara Gardens, to name a few.

Mauritius: Want to visit Mauritius with your near and dear ones? The clear blue waters and the vast stretches of the sandy beaches are a striking contrast here. Some of the prominent tourist attractions in Mauritius include the Casela Bird Park, Black River Gorges National Park, La Vanille Crocodiles Park, Lle aux Cerfs Island, Botanical Garden of Pamplemousses and so on. The list is endless.

Thailand: Thailand is also a popular tourist destination. The place witnesses a large number of tourists every year. The major tourist attractions in Thailand include the beautiful sandy beaches like Koh Samui Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Jomtien, Ayutthaya Historical Park, and many more.

Switzerland: The spectacular Alps coupled with the forests with hiking paths and nature trails, ancient cities, and scenic countryside, farms and meadows, all add to the beauty and charm of Switzerland. Singapore's culture and architecture are strongly influenced by the heritage of Germany, France and Italy and this is evident from the magnificent mountains, castles and palaces.

These are some of the top holiday destinations of world. Visit them and have a rocking holiday with your loved ones.

Rohan Arora is travel based writer. I like traveling & exploring new destinations. For more information on Maldives tourism holiday destinations visit http://www.holidayshub.com.

Beach Tourists Prefer Algeria and Lebanon

Tourists preferring beach vacation to any others and looking for diversity, pay their attention to the new travel directions - Lebanon and Algeria that shall soon become very competitive as compared with other African resort countries - Egypt, Tunis and Morocco. Morocco is a special item in this list, since in 2007 the tourist flow to this country broke all records (+8%, the total number of tourists made up 7 million people) which is caused by effective domestic policy and appearance of the new routes of low-budget airlines (easyJet, AirBerlin, Ryanair) from Europe to Marrakesh, Agadir and Fez.

"Euromonitor International" predicts the boom of beach tourism in Lebanon and Algeria in the next five years. Unusual and beautiful nature, cultural and historical sights, historic mysteries and various exotics shall attract a big number of European tourists. The specialists recommend both countries to borrow Tunisian or Egyptian models of tourism development in which sea, sun and beach are combined with the high level of service, unique thalassotherapy and antique sights.

The tourism in Lebanon and Algeria is now restrained by visa issues and lack of qualitative hotels. However, before 2015 "Accor Group" plans to open 36 hotels in Algeria, and "Marriott International" and "Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide" are already constructing new beach resorts. The company "Maltese Corinthia Group" owns so far the only 5-star hotel in Tripoli, whereas the Italian company "Gruppo Norman" is building the resort for 3.8 thousand guests on the Farwa island. Investment companies from the United Arab Emirates are also showing interest in the region.

Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His Travel site is http://www.travelime.com

A Museum Like No Other in The World - Grand Egyptian Museum

The Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza Egypt will be the largest Museum in the world of Egyptian artifacts. The construction of the museum is almost as impressive as the construction of the Pyramids themselves.

Backed by over 3,500 years of civilization and a fledging culture that sprouted and flourished along the Nile River, Egypt has rarely spared any opportunity to preserve its historical monuments and artifacts.

Evidence of it is amply borne out by the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) project, billed is one of the largest museum developments currently underway globally.

With an allocated area of 480,000 square metres, the museum will be located nearly 2 kilometres away from the Giza pyramids adjacent to the Giza plateau, and on completion will become the intersection between modern and ancient Cairo directing the public back to the ancient heritage of Egypt.

The facility will offer an exhibition area of 35,000 square metres and house 100,000 artefacts.

The project construction consists of the following main elements: Museum and Conference Center (Main Building); the Menkaurus Retaining Wall and other retaining structures; auxiliary buildings including restaurants; car and coach parking; exhibition works and an extensive external works package.

The items to be displayed will be organized into chronological galleries spanning the ages of Pharaonic history including: Pre-History; Old Kingdom; Middle Kingdom; New Kingdom; and Late and Roman Period. Besides, there will also be two special areas for display, including theGrand Staircase and the Tutankhamun Gallery.

The museum has been designed by a team that consists of Heneghan Peng (architects); Ove Arup (structural engineer) and Buro Happold (mechanical engineer).Their scope of works included pre-schematic design, schematic design, detailed design, tender documents and construction drawings.

The genesis of the museum goes back to 1992 when a Presidential Decree was issued to allocate nearly 50 hectares at the current site location in Giza for the facility.

What followed was a flurry of activities with more than 1,550 conceptual architectural designs from 83 different countries being submitted by international architects and firms. The most distinguished was the winning design selected by the International Union of Architects in Paris on 2 June 2003.

Immediately after this date, development of the preliminary architectural design began, with the pre-schematic design being submitted to the Ministry of Culture at the end of April 2004

Hill International, along with its Egyptian partner EHAF Consulting Engineers, was awarded in 2010 the project construction management contract by Egypt's Ministry of Culture's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

In addition, a technical committee, comprising of Egyptian scholars, architects and engineers was set up to review the design and provide comments to the design team on a continuous basis.

Schematic design of the museum building was completed in June 2005, while schematic design of exhibitions was completed by the end of November 2005. As the next step, detailed design for the museum building began in April 2006 and detailed design for exhibition works began in November 2010.

The project is estimated to cost US$800 million, with 70% funding coming from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and the remaining 30% from the Egyptian government.

In February this year, Besix and Orascom were awarded the main construction contract and have already mobilised at the site.

As of 30 June, 829 total human resources are on the site and according to our estimates, there will be a total of 6,500 workers [including management staff] during the peak construction period

With more than 4 million visitors anticipated to visit the museum, the first stage is targeted to open in August 2015 and will accommodate more than 15,000 artefacts, including heavy and special ones.

Economic spin-offs

The economic benefits of GEM are too obvious to ignore.

At present, tourism accounts for nearly 4.4% of Egypt's gross national product (GNP) and also 10% of the total jobs are either directly or indirectly linked in some form to tourism.

Besides, with every additional 1 million visitor to the country, new job opportunities are created for 200,000.

Interestingly, the existing Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, Cairo is currently the single-largest antiquities museum in Egypt attracting more than 2 million visitors annually, which is more than all the other museums in Egypt combined.

The museum - which was built over 100 years ago - is home to more than 176,000 relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history.

Display and storage spaces are limited with severe difficulties of expansion due to the building and surrounding constraints. As the number of excavations increase, the artifacts to be stored in the existing Egyptian Museum in Cairo have become over-crowded, as also the number of exhibits has completely outgrown the space available.

Furthermore, the facilities and programme of conservation and restoration, research, study and education required as standard functions for a modern museum, are not to the required standards in the current museums in Egypt.

To improve such a situation, there is an urgent requirement to construct the new museum incorporating the fundamental functions, such as conservation and restoration, exhibition, research, study and education.

Many Faces of Egypt

In 2008, over 12 million tourists visited Egypt for their holidays. Until the credit crunch, this North African country's tourism industry was rising year on year. Even with a world struggling with a tough economic climate, Egypt is well setup to weather the storm and looks like coming out of the other side stronger than ever.

Egypt is an especially desirable destination for European travellers with flight times from the UK at around five hours, all year round sun and a distinct lack of rain. With European holidays becoming fairly expensive because of the strength of the Euro, Egypt looks very desirable, especially to British travellers because you get a lot of Egyptian Pounds to your British Pounds.

Egypt is probably most well known for the Pyramids of Giza and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Queens. However, there are many faces to Egypt, some well known and some kept as a special secret.

Cairo, Egypt's capital and the largest city in Africa, is the base for many people's visits to the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza. This colourful city, situated along the banks of the Nile, is known as the 'City of Minirets' and is a vibrant place with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Amongst the many bars, cafes and bazaars, there are still many reminders of Egypt's ancient civilization. It is also home to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and the treasures of the country's most famous pharaoh - Tutankhamen. Many holidaymakers will spend a long weekend in Cairo and then move on to experience more of what Egypt has to offer.

After a visit to the bustling capital, a break is in order. There are many popular Red Sea resorts around Egypt's coats. The most famous are probably Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and El Gouna. Each one offers excellent family friendly hotel facilities as well some beautiful sandy beaches and world-class scuba diving and snorkelling. One place that might not be on everybody's radar is Ain Soukhna, which means 'hot spring' in Egyptian, and is just two hours from the Pyramids of Giza. Ain Soukhna is also the closet beach to Cairo and is a great alternative to the capital if you need a beach break, but still want to be a short trip from the famous monuments of Giza.

For a different holiday altogether you can take a Nile cruise and enjoy a luxurious journey down one of the world's most famous rivers. Sit back in luxury aboard one of the many vessels that take tourists to a mix of well known and lesser known temples and sights. On average, cruises last around five to seven days and start from a number of destinations depending on the boat you choose. Most trips will either start or include a trip to Luxor, where you can visit the famous Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

Egypt holidays offer travellers a lot of options and it can be hard to fit in everything you want to do in one trip. This is why many people will return to this African country to enjoy the many experiences it has to offer.

Victoria Cochrane writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Tourism and History of Travel

Travel for trade was an important feature since the beginning of civilisation. The port at Lothal was an important centre of trade between the Indus valley civilisation and the Sumerian civilisation.

600 BC and thereafter

The earliest form of leisure tourism can be traced as far back as the Babylonian and Egyptian empires. A museum of historic antiquities was open to the public in Babylon. The Egyptians held many religious festivals that attracted the devout and many people who thronged to cities to see famous works of arts and buildings.

In India, as elsewhere, kings travelled for empire building. The Brahmins and the common people travelled for religious purposes. Thousands of Brahmins and the common folk thronged Sarnath and Sravasti to be greeted by the inscrutable smile of the Enlightened One- the Buddha.

500 BC, the Greek civilisation

The Greek tourists travelled to sites of healing gods. The Greeks also enjoyed their religious festivals that increasingly became a pursuit of pleasure, and in particular, sport. Athens had become an important site for travellers visiting the major sights such as the Parthenon. Inns were established in large towns and seaports to provide for travellers' needs. Courtesans were the principal entertainment offered.

This era also saw the birth of travel writing. Herodotus was the worlds' first travel writer. Guidebooks also made their appearance in the fourth century covering destinations such as Athens, Sparta and Troy. Advertisements in the way of signs directing people to inns are also known in this period.

The Roman Empire

With no foreign borders between England and Syria, and with safe seas from piracy due to Roman patrols, the conditions favouring travel had arrived. First class roads coupled with staging inns (precursors of modern motels) promoted the growth of travel. Romans travelled to Sicily, Greece, Rhodes, Troy and Egypt. From 300 AD travel to the Holy Land also became very popular. The Romans introduced their guidebooks (itineraria), listing hotels with symbols to identify quality.

Second homes were built by the rich near Rome, occupied primarily during springtime social season. The most fashionable resorts were found around Bay of Naples. Naples attracted the retired and the intellectuals, Cumae attracted the fashionable while Baiae attracted the down market tourist, becoming noted for its rowdiness, drunkenness and all- night singing.

Travel and Tourism were to never attain a similar status until the modern times.

In the Middle Ages

Travel became difficult and dangerous as people travelled for business or for a sense of obligation and duty.

Adventurers sought fame and fortune through travel. The Europeans tried to discover a sea route to India for trade purposes and in this fashion discovered America and explored parts of Africa. Strolling players and minstrels made their living by performing as they travelled. Missionaries, saints, etc. travelled to spread the sacred word.

Leisure travel in India was introduced by the Mughals. The Mughal kings built luxurious palaces and enchanting gardens at places of natural and scenic beauty (for example Jehangir travelled to Kashmir drawn by its beauty.

Travel for empire building and pilgrimage was a regular feature.

The Grand Tour

From the early seventeenth century, a new form of tourism was developed as a direct outcome of the Renaissance. Under the reign of Elizabeth 1, young men seeking positions at court were encouraged to travel to continent to finish their education. Later, it became customary for education of gentleman to be completed by a 'Grand Tour' accompanied by a tutor and lasting for three or more years. While ostensibly educational, the pleasure seeking men travelled to enjoy life and culture of Paris, Venice or Florence. By the end of eighteenth century, the custom had become institutionalised in the gentry. Gradually pleasure travel displaced educational travel. The advent of Napoleonic wars inhibited travel for around 30 years and led to the decline of the custom of the Grand Tour.

The development of the spas

The spas grew in popularity in the seventeenth century in Britain and a little later in the European Continent as awareness about the therapeutic qualities of mineral water increased. Taking the cure in the spa rapidly acquired the nature of a status symbol. The resorts changed in character as pleasure became the motivation of visits. They became an important centre of social life for the high society.

In the nineteenth century they were gradually replaced by the seaside resort.

The sun, sand and sea resorts

The sea water became associated with health benefits. The earliest visitors therefore drank it and did not bathe in it. By the early eighteenth century, small fishing resorts sprung up in England for visitors who drank and immersed themselves in sea water. With the overcrowding of inland spas, the new sea side resorts grew in popularity. The introduction of steamboat services in 19th century introduced more resorts in the circuit. The seaside resort gradually became a social meeting point

Role of the industrial revolution in promoting travel in the west

The rapid urbanisation due to industrialisation led to mass immigration in cities. These people were lured into travel to escape their environment to places of natural beauty, often to the countryside they had come from change of routine from a physically and psychologically stressful jobs to a leisurely pace in countryside.

Highlights of travel in the nineteenth century

*Advent of railway initially catalysed business travel and later leisure travel. Gradually special trains were chartered to only take leisure travel to their destinations.
* Package tours organised by entrepreneurs such as Thomas Cook.
* The European countries indulged in a lot of business travel often to their colonies to buy raw material and sell finished goods.
* The invention of photography acted as a status-enhancing tool and promoted overseas travel.
* The formation of first hotel chains; pioneered by the railway companies who established great railway terminus hotels.
* Seaside resorts began to develop different images as for day-trippers, elite, for gambling.
* Other types of destinations-ski resorts, hill stations, mountaineering spots etc.
* The technological development in steamships promoted travel between North America and Europe.
* The Suez Canal opened direct sea routes to India and the Far East.
* The cult of the guidebook followed the development of photography.


Tourism in the Twentieth Century

The First World War gave first hand experience of countries and aroused a sense of curiosity about international travel among less well off sector for the first time. The large scale of migration to the US meant a lot of travel across the Atlantic. Private motoring began to encourage domestic travel in Europe and the west. The sea side resort became annual family holiday destination in Britain and increased in popularity in other countries of the west. Hotels proliferated in these destinations.

The birth of air travel and after

The wars increased interest in international travel. This interest was given the shape of mass tourism by the aviation industry. The surplus of aircraft and growth of private airlines aided the expansion of air travel. The aircraft had become comfortable, faster and steadily cheaper for overseas travel. With the introduction of Boeing 707 jet in 1958, the age of air travel for the masses had arrived. The beginning of chartered flights boosted the package tour market and led to the establishment of organised mass tourism. The Boeing 747, a 400 seat craft, brought the cost of travel down sharply. The seaside resorts in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Caribbean were the initial hot spots of mass tourism.

A corresponding growth in hotel industry led to the establishment of world-wide chains. Tourism also began to diversify as people began to flock alternative destinations in the 70s. Nepal and India received a throng of tourists lured by Hare Krishna movement and transcendental meditation. The beginning of individual travel in a significant volume only occurred in the 80s. Air travel also led to a continuous growth in business travel especially with the emergence of the MNCs.

Sarvajeet Chandra writes on issues that are usually brushed under the carpet, or are too everyday-ish for high street strategists. He writes on making strategic plan robust, how to execute strategy well and other tactical issues for everyday business success.