Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Pyramids of Giza, Cairo, Egypt. The Acropolis, Athens, Greece. Taj Mahal, Agra, India. Machu Picchu in Cuzco, Peru. Christ Redeemer, and the background the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Iguazu Falls, Argentina-Brazil border. Niagara Falls, US-Canadian border. File: 01.jpg Quito Historic Center of Quito in Ecuador. Auditorio de Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). File: Cartagena Colombia.jpg Historic Center of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. It is possible to say that leisure travel had its beginnings in the last years of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Major changes in society, lifestyles, industry and technology altered the morphology of the community. There are moments in the history of exceptional change and enormous growth. The nineteenth century witnessed a great economic expansion, followed by industrial and scientific revolution even greater in the second half of the twentieth century.Tourism was one of the main beneficiaries to become the late twentieth century the world's largest industry. With the Industrial Revolution that consolidates the bourgeoisie will have financial resources and free time to travel. In the contemporary age the invention of the steam engine represents a dramatic reduction in transport, which until now were drawn by animals. The railroads spread rapidly throughout Europe and North America. Also the use of steam in navigation reduces travel time. England provides the first transoceanic voyages by sea and dominates the market in the second half of the nineteenth century, and will encourage European migration to America. It is the great moment of shipping and shipping companies. Begins to emerge mountain tourism or health: health resorts were built and European private clinics, many of them come down to us as small charming hotels.It is also the period of cold beaches (Costa Blue, Channel, ...). In 1841 Thomas Cook organized the first package tour in history. Although he was an economic failure is considered a resounding success in terms of precedent of the package tour, then realized the huge economic opportunities that could come to have this activity in 1851 creating the first travel agency in the world "Thomas Cook and son . In 1867 he invented the voucher or voucher, document that allows the use of certain hotels and prepaid services contracted through a travel agency. Henry Wells and William Fargo founded the travel agency American Express initially dedicated to the carriage of goods and subsequently became one of the largest agencies in the world. Introduced financing schemes and issuance of checks, such as travel-check (personal money paper money exchangeable for common use which protects the traveler from theft or loss).C sar Ritz is considered the father of modern hospitality. From a very young occupied all possible positions of a hotel manager to reach one of the best hotels of its time. Improved all hotel services, established the position of sommelier, introduced the bathroom in the rooms, revolutionized the administration. (became decadent hotels in the best in Europe, so calling him a "magician"). At the outbreak of World War I in the summer of 1914 is considered that there were some 150,000 American tourists in Europe. After the war began mass production of buses and cars. At this time the beaches and rivers will become the center of tourism in Europe beginning to assume great importance coast tourism. The airplane used by minorities in long distance, develops timidly to stop imposing on shipping companies. The crisis of 1929 negatively impacts on the tourism sector by limiting its development well into 1932.The Second World War absolutely paralyzed tourism in the world and its effects extend until 1949. Between 1950 and 1973 he starts talking about the tourist boom. International tourism is growing at a faster rate than it had in all history. This development follows the new international order, social stability and development of leisure culture in the Western world. At this time we start to legislate on the sector. Economic recovery, especially Germany and Japan was surprisingly high income levels in these countries and by the emergence of a middle class that is beginning to become interested in travel. But the recovery by raising the living standards of most important sectors of the population of Western countries.
