Page 65 - Introduction to Tourism

Roman Empire, extending from near Scotland

and Germany in the north to well within Egypt in

the south and along the southern shores of the

Mediterranean Sea. To the east, roads extended

to the Persian Gulf in what is now Iraq and

Kuwait.
The Romans could travel as much as 100 miles a

day using relays of horses furnished from rest
posts five to six miles apart. Romans also

journeyed to see famous temples in the
Mediterranean area, particularly the pyramids

and monuments of Egypt. Greece and Asia Minor

were popular destinations, offering the Olympic

Games, medicinal baths and seaside resorts,

theatrical productions, festivals, athletic

competitions,

and other forms of amusement and

entertainment. The Roman combination of

empire, roads, the need for overseeing the

empire, wealth, leisure, tourist attractions,

and the desire for travel created a demand for

accommodations and other tourist services that

came into being as an early form of tourism.

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