The Tourism of an Emerging Country: Spain in the First Globalization

Abstract

The Tourism of an Emerging Country: Spain in the First Globalization

Recent Spanish historiography defines Spain as a backward yet emerging country in the global tourism scenery in the first three decades of the 20th century. Starting from the early years of the century, on the one hand, there was an increasing interest in Spain from investors and operators such as Thomas Cook & Son, which opened a network of agencies; on the other hand, the Spanish State initiated a series of experiences to support tourism, including the institution of the Patronato Nacio- nal de Turismo in 1928. In the preceding decades, during the dynamics of the first globalization, Spain had already been perceived through the lens of more advanced tourism. This article delves into some travel episodes that occurred between the late 1870s and the early 1900s. Thanks to significantly accelerated international communication and mobility, the narration of those travel experiences through Spain helped solidify a distinctive perception of Spain within Western culture among a broader audience. The article shows how, although with heavy criticisms and con- tradictions, the imaginary of “sunny Spain” began to take shape in the years of the first globalization.

Received: 2023/30/07

Admitted: 2024/01/24