User:Michellezzzzzzzz/Practice - Michellezzzzzzzz

Tourism and Empire Cases

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tourism became an integral aspect of European imperial expansion. Tourism in Egypt and Sudan emerged as part of Britain’s imperial project during the 1880s and 1890s. Modern infrastructure, including railways, roads, and waterways, was constructed in Egypt to support tourism. Thomas Cook pioneered organized travel along the Nile by the late 1860s. His operations relied on support from both the British government and the indebted Egyptian administration. Cook & Son contributed to consolidating Britain’s control by deepening Egypt’s economic dependence on Britain.

In French North Africa, tourism served colonial interests by reinforcing control over Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. Official tourism policies were implemented shortly before World War I. During the interwar period, tourism was promoted as part of the French civilizing mission and infrastructure expansion. Increased ship and railway networks connected colonial territories and justified tourism development.

In Java, tourism in the 1930s was used by the Netherlands to reinforce colonial hierarchies and national identity. Mountain resorts catered to Dutch and international visitors seeking relief from tropical cities. This expansion was underpinned by ideas of environmental determinism and racial superiority.

In the Ottoman Empire, tourism was welcomed by some locals as an economic opportunity. From 1835 to 1870, visitors from Europe and the U.S. stimulated growth in local services. Tourists commonly arranged excursions through informal agreements with locals. Local guides provided logistics, language skills, and cultural mediation, insulating visitors from locals.

In the Balkans under the Ottoman Empire, British travelers portrayed the region as primitive and barbaric. Their writings often reflected condescending judgments and imperial attitudes.