History of Travel

Prehistoric humans traveled for survival, often in search of food. When the last Ice Age ended about 10,000 BC, fertile soil appeared beneath the ice. Humans began to raise plants and animals. As time went by, agricultural technologies began to improve. There came a point when more food was being produced than the farmers could consume. The excess food freed some people from farm work and provided them with time to do other things, such as other work, crafts, or hobbies. Moreover, the improvements in transportation an allowed trade, manufacturing, education, and politics to prosper (Casson, 1994).

Many researchers tried to analyse people’s reason for traveling. In the preceding paragraph, it was mentioned that one of the reasons for traveling is food. Modern-day examples of this travel motivation include: (a) tourists going to Japan to try certain dishes like fugu, or blowfish, a poisonous fish; and (b) Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) going abroad to provide food for their family back home. The first example tells us of a motivator that is found in destination, Japan. The other example tells us of a motivator that is found at home, or at the place of origin of the traveler. In the first example, the destination is specific to Japan, one of the few places where skilled chefs can prepare fugu to provide a unique gastronomic experience. However, in the second one, the destination could be anywhere provided it could satisfy the motivation, which is to provide food for the family back home.