ABSTRACT
Although tourism has a long history, it grew most rapidly in the last half of the twentieth century following World War II, and it continues to grow. Successive transportation improvements, particularly the creation of wide-bodied jets that have enabled people to travel faster, farther, and relatively cheaply, have paved the way for the proliferation of package tours to international destinations-making travel accessible to greater numbers of people. International tourism is still beyond the reach of many of the poor of the developing world, who are more likely to be workers in the tourism industry than tourists themselves. It has, however, become an integral part of the lives of many in the Western world, and is becoming increasingly accessible to growing middle classes elsewhere. In fact, growth in international tourism has shown considerable persistence; wars and economic crises have proven to be only temporary setbacks in a phenomenon that continues to increase steadily.
