ABSTRACT
Tourism is not a recent phenomenon. Whilst it was argued in the last chapter that tourism has become a widely accessible product in the consumer-led leisure society, the historical roots of tourism can be traced back almost to the origins of civilization. What the historical study of tourism indicates is that the nature of what tourists do in their leisure time may have changed, as technology has expanded the opportunities for travel. At the same time, tourism has evolved from being an activity which was the preserve of the ‘leisured classes’ (i.e. the aristocracy) who had both the leisure time and means to engage in travel, to a mass phenomenon. Throughout history, and even to a degree today, what distinguishes the higher social classes’ experience of tourism from a mass product, is its highly individualized consumption when compared to the communal consumption of accommodation and transport, in particular, of the mass market experience. This chapter will show that through history tourism has varied in terms of its accessibility to different groups in society through history, and that the development of a leisure ethic and increased prosperity have created new tourism opportunities.
