Evolution of the World’s Largest Industry
While we don’t know exactly who built the first roads or inn, we do know that people were traveling on religious journeys, to trade their goods, and to pay their taxes in biblical times. In medieval Europe, wealthy landowners and prosperous merchants made religious pilgrimages. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, young English aristocrats spent one to five years on a trip through Europe known as the Grand Tour.
By the nineteenth century, thousands of Europeans and Americans were traveling for pleasure or for self-improvement. The coming of railroads allowed them to expand their horizons. Because rail travelers needed lodging, the railroads also spurred the growth of hotels along the route. Porters at the hotels helped travelers arrange for train trips and future lodgings and, thus, became the forerunners of the modern travel counselor.
The golden age for train travel extended from the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s. By the middle of the 20thcentury, both automobiles and airplanes were competing with the railroads, and the railroads fell into a long decline in the US. After the end of World War II, pent up spending burgeoned and Americans began to buy cars again after such purchases had been prohibited because of wartime restrictions. In the 1950’s, as auto travel became extremely popular in the US, motels (motor hotels) sprang up across the country to meet the needs of the driving public. Then, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, jets and wide-bodied aircraft reduced the time and cost of air travel, putting it within reach of millions of Americans eager to travel. Europe and Asia, now well recovered from the damages of World War II, also became a market for business and vacation travel.
The growth of air travel challenged the shipping lines that had carried passengers across the Atlantic between Europe and North America. To survive, some lines adapted by converting oceangoing vessels into cruise ships. These ships have evolved from more than simply transporting people from point to point, they now offer complete vacations. They have become floating resorts with everything from atriums to zip lining, and their new product was “Vacations at Sea.” Many cruise lines also started offering intellectual enrichment on board with a lineup of speakers, classes, and activities available to satisfy passengers’ interests.
Technology played a major role in this story. In the 19th and 20th centuries the introduction of new technologies for transportation-railroads, large steamships, automobiles and airplanes- created the foundation for the modern travel industry. The internet made it easier for consumers to obtain information and book travel arrangements on their own without going to a travel agency. While many continue to book their own trips, a number of people are returning to travel agencies to handle their arrangements once they learn how detailed and time-consuming it can be to do it yourself. Nowadays, travelers expect travel professionals to not only book their travel arrangement to save them time, but also to be able to enhance their travel experience with additional knowledge and services.
Today, Sweet Magnolia Travel takes pride in arranging travel for busy professionals dreaming of a sabbatical. Trusted and enthusiastic agents at Sweet Magnolia Travel craft each vacation with careful attention to detail in the effort to empower you with adventure. We believe in quality over quantity and with low overhead, the bottom line is not in our equation, only a passion for travel. With expert knowledge of the travel industry, in collaboration with hundreds of suppliers, and dedicated to excellence, Sweet Magnolia Travel is confident in its ability to offer you a SWEET deal on your dream vacation!