Most of us have heard the word “globalization” widely utilized in quite a lot of contexts over the past few years. But what’s the actual definition of this commonly used term? Merriam-Webster defines globalization as, “The act or strategy of globalizing: the state of being globalized; especially: the event of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets.” Now that we have established the true definition of globalization, it’s probably easy to see the way it plays a significant role within the tourism industry. After all, people visiting other countries would naturally be engaging in globalization as they purchase services of their travels. But what is probably not as obvious is how successful tourism led to globalization. That is the subject we’ll explore on this blog.
Although it’s hard to say exactly when the tourism industry began, many historians would agree that it probably began when well-to-do residents of ancient Rome began spending their summers in other parts of the region to flee the hustle and bustle of what was then (and is, even now) the metropolis of Rome. That would mean that tourism is, on the very least, about 2,000 years old. But the tip of the Roman Empire also meant the tip of tourism, albeit just for just a few hundred years, as unrest in that region made travel of any sort a dangerous proposition at best. Just a few hundred years later, during medieval times, the tourism industry experienced a rebirth when large groups of individuals began to make holy pilgrimages. That meant that those people needed places to eat and sleep along the way in which. Another few hundred years later, people began to travel for other reasons – comparable to to enhance their health and to view art, architecture, and visit historic locations. It was presently, throughout the Industrial Revolution, when the tourism industry began to take the familiar form that we all know today. Methods of transportation were developed, as were hotels and restaurants, to cater to tourists. Finally, starting within the Sixties, as aircraft and ocean liners became more commonplace and cheaper for the masses, tourism became a worldwide industry. In our day and age, if you might have the time and the cash, you possibly can arrange to travel, quite literally, anywhere on the planet.
And, because it seems, many individuals DO have the time and the cash. According to The Statistics Portal, between the years of 2006 and 2017, the travel and tourism industry contributed $8.27 trillion dollars to the worldwide economy. The best contributors include North America, the European Union, and North East Asia. While these regions proceed to guide the tourism charge, other less-likely countries are making their very own mark within the industry, undoubtedly resulting from the lucrative possibilities that tourism brings with it. Some of essentially the most notable are African countries, comparable to Namibia, Zambia and Angola, to call just a few.
In the KOF Globalization Index of the 100 Most Globalized Countries in 2017, it should come as no surprise that leading the list are many EU countries, including Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, France, and others. Also on the list – although further down than the EU countries – are Canada and the U.S. The KOF Index of Globalization takes into consideration three key indicators: economic, social and political. They define globalization as, “… the strategy of creating networks of connections amongst actors at multi-continental distances, mediated through quite a lot of flows including people, information and concepts, capital and goods.” While there is not any doubt in regards to the economic impact that tourism has on the worldwide scale, the opposite indicators of globalization are harder to measure – namely the social and political influences that the tourism industry brings to the worldwide stage. But if we measure the impact of tourism on globalization with regard to the flow of individuals, information and concepts, in addition to capital and goods, we will say with a certain level of certainty that the success of the tourism industry has greater than likely led the way in which – each directly and not directly – to globalization.
