Greeks and Romans: The Earliest Tourists History of Tourism Greeks and Romans: The Earliest Tourists

Greeks and Romans: The Earliest Tourists Two of the first societies to travel extensively outside their own borders were the Ancient Greeks and Romans; in fact they were probably the very first tourists. Both societies were major traders and both created colonies where their people settled permanently away from their country of origin. As each society's empire grew, so too did the amount their people travelled. It is important to recognise that not all the travel that happened in Greek and Roman society could be characterised as tourism. Greeks and Romans travelled for all sorts of different reasons; for war or colonisation, because they were slaves and had no choice or simply to move to another area to live. Just the same as today, being a traveller does not necessarily mean that you are also a tourist. The term 'tourism' today is used in a broad context which includes both travel for leisure as well as travel for business purposes. In the context of this unit, the focus will be on the historical development of tourism as a leisure activity; rather than on the historical development of business related travel.

Why the Greeks and Romans? So what was it about the Greeks and Romans that allowed them to engage in travel for pleasure? Probably the most important reason is that both societies were the dominant empires of their day. Ancient Greece had formed an alliance of city states that ruled much of Europe, and Ancient Rome conquered and colonised countries from Britain to Egypt. At the most basic level, Greeks and Romans travelled for pleasure because it was safe to do so. So feared was the power of Rome that a Roman citizen could travel the world secure in the knowledge that they were protected simply by virtue of their citizenship. Secondly, a society that is not busy defending itself is also able to develop its infrastructure. For example, Ancient Rome created a system of roads across its empire that was still being used well into the Middle Ages.

Understanding the First Tourists Select either the Ancient Greeks, or the Ancient Romans and review the information on: Tourism2.wikispaces.com. From the website above research and collate your findings to create a presentation to summarise the information for the rest of the class. You must also conduct your own research to supplement the information on the wiki page. You can choose how you present the information. For example, you might want to design a poster or use a PowerPoint or prepare a talk. It is up to you! Activity Hint – You can use any different types of research that you like but here are some suggestions to get you on your way: Look through your school or community library for books on ancient Greeks and Romans. Find some films in your local video store that depict ancient Greek and Roman society, what sort of tourism experiences are portrayed in the films? Do an internet search on travel for ancient Greeks and Romans and see what sort of information comes up.

Understanding the First Tourists Think about the following questions. They will give you a starting point for your presentation: How easy was it for people to travel for pleasure in the ancient world; what sorts of people were able to engage in tourism? What sort of transport technology was available to the ancient tourists of Greece and Rome? What sort of destinations did ancient Greeks and Romans choose to visit for pleasure? What sort of attractions or activities did ancient Greeks or Romans choose to visit for pleasure? How does the experience of either a Greek or Roman tourist compare with the last holiday that you took?