The history of international tourism can be categorized into 6 periods:
1. The Empire Era from ancient times to the 5th century CE saw the beginnings of organized travel for governmental, commercial, educational, and religious purposes facilitated by factors like safe roads and common languages.
2. Travel declined during the Middle Ages due to less safe transportation and fewer common currencies or languages, but started increasing again during the Renaissance Era as trade routes reopened and interest in travel for commerce and pleasure grew.
3. The Grand Tour Era from the 17th to late 18th century saw wealthy English travelers embarking on luxurious educational tours of Europe, establishing travel as a status symbol that spread throughout the continent.