Establishment of world tourism Organisation

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (47th .1 Session, Geneva-July 1969) examined the results of the Sofia Conference and requested the UN Secretary General to submit to the UN General Assembly. The Economic and Social Council proposed to the XXIVth United Nations General Assembly a resolution in November 1969, in which it invited the UN to take note of the recommendations of the XXIst IUOTO General Assembly. It also recommended to member-states of IUOTO to act jointly at the following Extraordinary General Assembly of the organisation to modify the statutes of IUOTO in order to give it an inter-governmental character. The Extra-ordinary General Assembly of the International Union of Official Travel Organisations (IUOTO) assembled in Mexico City (Mexico), voted in favour of creating the World Tourism Organisation with majority votes. The World Tourism Organisation was established on Nov. 1, 1974 after ratification by the provisional depository Swiss government to the states concerned that the 51st ratification of the WTO statutes had been received. The first General Assembly of the new inter-governmental World Tourism Organisation convened in Madrid, (Spain), on May 12, 1975. This meeting was attended by delegates from 89 sovereign states, associate members and affiliate members. Thus the World Tourism Organisation an international organisation of inter-governmental character resulting from the transformation of the International Union of Official Travel Organisation( lUOTO ) is established for the promotion and development of tourism. Its headquarter is now in Madrid, Spam.

The cheapest place was Pokhara, Nepal with a daily total of $15.84

The list is based on a daily total of expenses that includes the cost of a dorm bed at a good and economical hostel, three budget meals, three cheap beers, two public transportation rides and one paid cultural attraction.

Last year, the U.S. dollar hit its highest level against other foreign currencies since 2003, making international travel more affordable for Americans. While airline fare to some of these spots can be expensive, especially for tourists on the other side of the globe, Price of Travel found the day-to-day costs for the 20 top cities to be under $30.

As of May 4, a majority of these cities were in Southeast Asia. Vietnam, Laos and Thailand all had multiple locations in the top 20. So did India and Nepal. South America and Europe had two cities in the top 20 and Africa had one.

The cheapest place was Pokhara, Nepal with a daily total of $15.84. It was followed by Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam with daily budgets of $17.13 and $18.30, respectively.

If South America is calling your name, check out Quito, Ecuador ($22.20 per day) or La Paz, Bolivia ($25 per day). For those looking to avoid tropical places, Kiev, Ukraine and Bucharest, Romania have more temperate climates and daily budgets under $25.

In addition to being easy on your wallet, these faraway destinations have a lot to offer in terms of adventure. Just remember that it’s always a good idea to check for travel warnings to any country before booking a trip and have an established plan in the event of an emergency.

The Marco Polo spent almost 25 years in Asia

Fascinating Travel Accounts

Marco Polo's the fearless traveller, spent almost twenty-five years in Asia during the later part of the 13th century. His wonderlust could well have been inherited from his father. Yong Marco Polo left Venice in the year 1271 with his father  and uncle. The Three together travelled through persia and Afghanistan to the "roof of the world" , The main unknown Pamir Plateau. After crossing the wind-swept Gobi desirt, they reached Kublai Khan's place and remained in China for over twenty years. On his way back home, he stopped in Sumatra, Java, India and Ceylon.
The great travellers who ventured to explore distant land had fascinating accounts of their travels. Even if we go back just a few hundred years to the third century A.D. since the first exploration of Alexander the great ,or only about seven amazing explorations crossing many lands, we get fascinating accounts of travellers of these great persons.

The first medieval travel to reach the orient was probably jenjamin of Tudela, a Jewish scholar, who left Saragossa in the year A.D. 1160. He wrote a detailed account of his thirteen year long journey through Europe, Persia and India, giving information on the Jewish communications, and the geography of various places he had visited. Yet another famous traveller who recorded interesting account of his travel experieces was Ibn Batuath. Ibn Batutah wrote a detailed dairy of his travel experienced. He was born at Tangier in A. D. 1304. In the year A.D. 1325, he left his home and passing through various contries in Africa and West Asia, crossed the Sindhu in A.D. 1333. His travels took him to as far places as Indonesia and China. Out of a total of more than 17,000 miles, he covered more than 14,000 miles in the course of his travels through India, The Maldives and Ceylon.

Marco Polo's description of a place Zipangu (The present Day Japan) in his memmoirs, set the course for columbus on his historic journey in 1492. Two of columbus's contemporaries who also became famous and wrote excellent account were vasco da Gama - who opened the sea route from western Europe to India in 1498 - and Ferdinand Megellan whose ship sailed around the world.

We also have account of some more travellers from Europe who visited India during the period discribed above. Francisco 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 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 first great sailor to do a westward circumnavigation of the world was Francis Drake who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in the year 1581. From 1768 to 1779 Captain James Cook made three long voyages to the Pacific in search of a non-existent southern continent mentioned by Ptolemy who earlier in the 2nd century A.D. had travelled widely and who wrote an eight - volume work on geography.

Early Travellers to India

Perhaps the earliest travellers from distant landsto the Indain soil where the trading Persains. Evidence of caravans of Persians visiting India lies engraved in the inscriptions dating to the persian king Darius. During the rule of the Guptas, there was free access to the ports along the Western Coast, seaborne commerce access to the ports along the coast, seaborne commerce With Europe through Egypt was yet another season for travel in and around the country. There are aslo references of many known Persians, who visited the Indain soil for commerce and trade. There are aslo a mention of cultural exchange between Persia and India. Reference has also been made to the influence of Persian customs in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.

Great travellers from various far away lands visited India. Probably the greatest traveller remembered from the distant past is Hieun-tsang. A devout Chinese Buddhist, he made the perilous journey to India around A.D. 633. His main mission was to collect and translate ancient Buddhist scriptures. Some other travellers whose names need special mention are Alexander the Great Marco Polo, Benjamin of Tudela, Ibn Batutah, Francisco Friar, Alfonso D' Albuquerque and Mark Twain.

One of the important developments during this period was the emergence of some sort of communication system and accomodation. Development of trade and commerce necessitated this development. Shulgi, the ruler of ancient Babylonia, claimed to have built roads and rest houses at various places for wayfarers. With trade and commerce forming a link in development, it was inevitable that some sort of commucation system connecting the centres of trade, commerce and learning were found to be in good shape, When Alexander the Great, during his journey, reached India, he found well maintained roads covered with shady trees. Along one royal highway, 1920 kilometers long and about 19 metres wide, people travelled in chariots, palanquins, bullock carts on horses, camels and elephants.

Travel for religious purpose

Ashoka Samrat

During the middle ages, travel for religious purpose assumed a significant importance. The pratice for travelling for religious purpose became a well established custom in many parts of the world. By the end of the Middle ages, a large number of pilgrims were travelling to the main shrines in Europe and elsewhere. The adoption and spread of Christianity subsequently led to numerous pilgrims making their way to the holy land. So deep and strong was the hold of faith that the ritual of pilgrimag flourished over the centuries. It becames a great unifing force and the pilgrimages strengthened religious bonds. The pilgrimages also provided the necessary impetus for a stay at home agrarian agrarian society to break out of its narrow geographical confines and visit places associated with religion. It also served as a powerful means of forging unity and understanding between peoples from widely different regious.In India, pilgrim trave assumed a great importance. Emperor Ashoka the Great, travelled a great deal in his eagerness to spread doctrines of Buddha. Ashoka and his entourage first travelled to Nepal starting from Patliputra and then ventured to Lumbini Gardens, the land of Buddha's birth, on to Kapilvastu, the place where Buddha spent his childhood. From here, he went to Sarnath, where Buddha spent many years of his life and finally to Gaya, where Buddha got enlightenment. Through his travels, Emperor Ashoka had special memorials set up each port and also rest houses where travellers could rest.

Lord Gautam Buddha

 Harsha was another emperor who was greatly influenced by the Buddhist scriptures. He built institutions and Dharamshalas for the travellers. Rest houses wehre built in towns and villages. Numerous monsteries and temples were aslo built for the pilgrims.

The powerful influences of a crusanding religion that slowly penetrated a foreign land such as Christianity Europe and later in America and Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism in Asia took places to permit an assimilation and perpetuation of very distinctive languages, literature, art , architecture, philosophy and forms of government. Religion thus played and continued to play a crucial part in travel.

Travel for Seeking Knowledge

The urge to explore new lands and to seek new knowledge in ancient and distant lands was yet another motive of travellers in subsequent periods. Although trade and comerce continued to be the strong force for many travellers to undertake journeys to distant lands, seeking new knowledge and exploring the unexplored lands was becoming a strong urge in ancient times. Homer's great work odyssey records the wanderlust of the ancient Greeks and Romans. There are innumerable references to great explorers who spent many formidable years of their lives in search of knowledge. These great explorers can perhaps, be creaited with the distinction of being the pioneers who subsequently paved the way for modern day travel

Travel for Trade and Commerce

Travel for trade and commerce was, however, the  strongest force in the ancient past for seeking fortunes. Throughtout history, traders and merchants have travelled to far off lands in order to trade with other nations and tribes. Travellers from distant lands. started moving about in large numbers and visited many places for the purposes of commerce. With the gradual opening of the trade routes, travel become easier as well as regulated. At the market-places, travellers made contacts with each other which resulted in increased flow of trade commerce. Trade relations gradually matured into cultural relations and better understanding of each other's way of life. This was a favourable development towards increase in travel activity during this period.


Some of the earliest traveller probably were the Phoenicians. They were probably the first real traveller in the modern sense. These were also the people who were created for the invention of money. The medium of money was being used in various Business and commrical dealings. Many trader could now pay for their travel to different centres of trade and commerce as also for the accomodation they required. The invention of money and the development of trade and commerce beginning about 3000 B. C. perhaps can be said to be the most significant  development of the time which paved the way for the development and organization of travel.

Early travel in the orient, particularly in India and China, was also largely based on trade and commerce. Travel to India to particular was undertaken by travellers form all over the incient world.
Both Inda and China  enjoyed reputation of being countries of fabulas wealth  where trade and commerce flourished. It is on record that long before the Christian era, traveller visited India in search of fortune. This tend contined and became more marked in course of time with Eroupeans heading towards Indain shores for the sole purpose of trade and commerce.