Page 80 - Introduction to Tourism

Sinai still flourishes. Those who could afford to

pay were expected to leave a generous donation.

Eventually, providing hospitality services for

increasing numbers became burdensome to the

religious houses. They could not turn the poor

away, because Christian charity was an
important element in the church ’ s mission; nor

could they turn away the nobles, who made
generous financial contributions. But they could,

and increasingly did, refer the middle classes to
taverns, inns, and wine shops. Thus, the church

played an important role in the development of

the hospitality industry during

this period.

The Grand Tour

The “ Grand Tour ” of the seventeenth and

eighteenth centuries was made by diplomats,

businesspeople, and scholars who traveled to

Europe, mainly to the cities of France and Italy. It

became fashionable for scholars to study in

Paris, Rome, Florence, and other cultural

centers. While making the Grand Tour began as

80