Turismo no percurso do tempo. Tourism in the threshold of time.

Abstract

The question as to why travels and expe- ditions are inextricably intertwined to tourism and hospitality is a matter very hard to grasp. Anyway, this has motivated in historians a search for the ancient roots of tourism. Of course Greeks and Romans en- joyed themselves by traveling for knowing new customs (education purposes) or for relax.   However, these movements were not considered forms of tourism because of many reasons. One of them and perhaps the more reasonable was the consideration of roman leisure (and within this term the trip) as a part of sacred-space. Typically, unlike modern tourism, ancient festivals characterized to be held in honor to certain divinity and participants were rushed to take part of them. For other hand, travels were for ancients a mechanism to improve education of off-spring or part of duties as officials. In general, the populace was not accustomed to travel for resting. However, it is safe to say the ancient leisure paved the ways for the future configuration of modern tourism.