Tourism in Medieval Period

What is it all about?
The medieval period is all about the period, age or era after the fall of Roman Empire and the beginning of "rebirth" or the Renaissance period. The medieval period is the bridge with these two very important eras in literature.

What is the meaning of medieval and period?
The term medieval comes from the Latin word "medium aurum" which means "middle age". Medieval was 1st used in the 19th century and the original spelling of it is "mediaeval". -period means a length of time that is very important in the history of the world or nation.

Many medieval people travelled for renewal, leisure and for thrill-seeking, and that on the abundance of medieval “tourist” services catered for these activities. Southern Italy and Sicily, in the 11^th and 12^th centuries, offers a particularly vivid illustration of this phenomenon. Due to its position in the cultural Mediterranean can, the region has always been pivotal t wider currents of movement and travel. From the later 11^th century it began to attract even more European for three main reasons.

Firstly, southern Italy and Sicily was conquered by bands of Normans who united a region which had previously been politically fragmented and host to a path work of Greek Christians, Sews, and Muslims.

Secondly, various factors converged to boost the popularity of international pilgrimage and after the beginning of the crusading movement in 1095. Europe experiences its golden era of devotional travel, much of which moved to southern Italy and Sicily en route to Jerusalem.

Thirdly, in the 12^th century, Europe underwent a cultural renaissance; learned individuals travelled further afield to seek knowledge, to uncover classical traditions, and to encounter alternative experiences.

On the basis of points we can describe Medieval Period as the following points which show the development of tourism in medieval period:

• There was a pervasive Christianity
• There was poverty
• In this period there was ignorance
• There was also an economic chaos
• There was a bad government
• There was plague
• There was also cultural and artistic achievement
• Then there was technological development

History thus reveals that trade and commerce remained a strong force for many travellers to undertake long journeys to distant lands. This was followed by an urge to explore new lands and to seek new knowledge in ancient and distant lands. There are many references to great explorers who spent many formidable years of their lives in search of knowledge. Even if we go back a few hundred years to the third century A.D. Since the first exploration of Alexander the Great, or only about 700 years since Marco Polo and their amazing explorations crossing many lands, we get fascinating accounts of these great persons. These great explorers can perhaps be credited with the distinction of being the pioneers who subsequently paved the way for modern travel. When Alexander the Great reached India, he found well-maintained roads lined with shady trees. Along one royal highway, 1,920 kilometers long and about 19 meters wide people travelled in chariots, palanquins, bullock carts, on horses, camels, and elephants.

Young Macro Polo left Venice in the year 1271 with his father and uncle. They travelled through Persia and Afghanistan to the “roof of world”, the then unknown Pamir Plateau. After crossing the windswept Gobi Desert, he reached Kublai Khan’s palace and remained in China for over twenty years. On his way back home, he stopped in Sumatra,Java, India and Ceylon. The first medieval traveller to reach the Orient was probably Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewish scholar who left Saragossa in 1160 A.D. He wrote a detailed account of his thirteen-year journey through Europe, Persia, and India, giving information on the Jewish communities, and the geography of the Jewish communities, and the geography of the various places he visited. Yet another famous traveller who recorded interesting accounts of his travel experiences was Ibn Batuta. Ibn Batuta wrote a detailed diary of his travel experiences. He was born at Tangier(Morocco) in 1304 A.D. In 1325 A.D., he left his home and passing through various countries in Africa and West Asia, crossed the Indus( also Sindhu) in 1333 A.D. The travels took him as far as Indonesia and China. Out of a total of more than 17000 miles, he covered over 14000 miles through India, Maldives, and Ceylon.

There are accounts of some European travellers who visited India during the period described above. The Franciscan friar, John of Monte Corvino, visited India on his way to and back from China during the last decade of the thirteenth century. Mention may also be made here of the famous Portuguese chronicle-the commentaries of the Great Alfonso D’ Albuquerque. Later on in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries many more European monks, travellers, and adventurers visited India and many other places in search of knowledge.

The expeditions of these great travellers rewarded them with new ideas and also with fabulously rich treasures from rich and highly advanced civilizations of Asia and other parts of the world. The actual number of individuals who participated in various explorations as travellers in search of knowledge, however, represented only a small proportion of the total population. Travel was considered difficult and not a thing of pleasure. Transport and communication system of today were non-existent. Land migrations were done by foot and on horseback, elephant, camel, and river craft in Europe, Asia and Africa, and the very limited exploration by rafts and primitive vessels moved by tides, or, and sail.

References:

1. A.K.Bhatia. Tourism development Principles and Practices. New Delhi: Sterling Publisher Pvt.Ltd, 2009.
2. Pariyar, P. 2011. A DECADE OF TOURIST ARRIVAL IN NEPAL : A Project Work Report , BBS final year, Finance group (Tourism) Faculty of Management , Public Youth Campus, Dhobichaur, Kathmandu, Nepal
3. Limbu, B. "Tourism." Tourism. 20 12 2010.
4. Runckel, Charles. www.Business-in-Asia.com. 2007. <http://www.business-in-asia.com/asia/medical_tourism.html>.
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