A Brief History of Travel

Travel is the movement of individuals between various geographical areas. Travel can be done with or without luggage, by foot, by automobile, plane, train, bus or other means and can either be one-way or round trip, between two and several days. It is often accompanied by a social or recreational activity and may take place primarily within a country or between many countries.

The earliest form of travel was hunting and traveling from site to site, using pack animals as a means of transport, walking or riding on horses, or following wandering paths across uncharted territories in search of game. Over time, travel developed into a much more sophisticated process, using commercial transportation methods, which allowed people to leave their homes to go to local markets and cities, and usually returned after a period of time. In this way, travel between civilizations occurred during a period of social development. The development of refrigeration allowed people to keep their foods fresh until they were able to travel, while trading and farming gave them the means of transporting produce from one location to another.

With the coming of automobiles, travel became much easier for both national and international travelers. With the exception of air travel which was controlled by the government, vehicles were available to all passengers at minimal cost. International travelers began to report experiencing severe food shortages while in other countries due to shortages of fuel and petroleum. The ability to cross state lines, or change points of entry to enter the United States provided an even greater convenience for international travelers. Today, however, the United States has become a much safer destination for all travelers, and the need for air travel within the borders of the united states have greatly diminished.