Holidays and Travel

Holidays and Travel

Medieval Period (500-1500)

• Pilgrimages were a primary form of travel, seen as both a religious duty and a form of holiday
• The elite class often travelled for leisure, for hunting trips or to summer residences
• Travel was mostly unorganised and the concept of the holiday was not widespread

Early Modern Period (1500-1750)

• Travel became more popular with the rise of the Grand Tour, especially among the upper class
• The idea of bathing in the sea for health began to be popular, leading to the creation of resorts like Brighton
• Inns and post houses became common stops for travellers, showing an increased infrastructure for leisure travel

Industrial Revolution (1750-1900)

• The development of railways made travel and holidays more accessible for the middle and working classes
• Seaside resorts like Blackpool became very popular, leading to the first package holidays
• Travel writing becomes more popular, reflecting the rise of holiday and travel as leisure pursuits

20th Century

• The rise of the car and later the aeroplane gave more freedom and flexibility to holidaymakers
• The introduction of paid holiday leave led to an increase in the number of people taking holidays
• The creation of package holidays and later budget airlines led to a boom in foreign holidays, especially in places such as Spain and Greece

21st Century

• The rise of the internet has made arranging holidays and travel much easier
• The low cost of air travel has made international holidays the norm rather than the exception
• Concerns about environmental sustainability have started to impact travel choices.
• The growth of ‘staycations’ due to the economic downturn and pandemic concerns.

Please remember, these are general overviews and to get a more comprehensive understanding of the subject, individual research is advised. Do not rely solely on these points for exam preparation.