Travel from the time of the Mesopotamians, Greeks, Romans and Crusades/Pilgrims have had a significant impact on modern travel. With reference to the sources and to our work in class, discuss the extent to which this is correct.
Through work in class, it was explained that ancient travel had an extremely significant impact on modern travel.
The Mesopotamians invented the wheel, one of the most important mechanical inventions of all time. This invention had a major impact on today’s travel as without the wheel, long distance travel would not be an option. The only forms of travel would be walking or taking a boat, which would take several weeks to reach destinations that can now be reached in a matter of hours.
Another major factor which influenced modern travel was the creation of maps. The first map was made in the 6th century BC by the Greeks, with maps being developed over thousands of years to todays most advanced electronic maps on smartphones and GPS’s. Without maps, the tourism industry would not be as successful as it would be harder to find your way to and from your travel destination.
Ancient Romans mostly travelled for leisure, the most common reason for today’s travel. They would visit historical wonders in different countries and take cruises. They also travelled as part of their education, with writers, poets and lawyers spending their money on taking 2-5 year holidays. This is seen today as schools like ours travel to places like France in order to gain further knowledge and understanding about the countries culture.
Pilgrims travelled so they could touch and see the physical manifest of their faith. This is still done today as people travel to take part in religious ceremonies, especially during Easter, Christmas and other religious holidays. Other people travel to famous religious locations including Jerusalem, the birthplace of Jesus.
The legacy of Thomas Cook can still be seen in the Australian Tourism Industry. With