History of Tourism – Forgotten Tourist Destinations | Tourism is a fickle business, with destinations going in and out of vogue as quickly as moon boots. Destinations that were hot only a few decades ago have since gone quiet, becoming a shadow of their glory days. What caused the flux in the fad? Reasons for former tourism heavyweights falling from grace vary. We start with Tijuana …
Forgotten Tourist Destinations
Tijuana, Mexico | Just opposite of San Diego in the U.S., Tijuana once used to be a #1 tourist destination. The hype started during the prohibition era in the United States and ended with drug cartels taking over control of the Mexican city. If you are suicidal or twisted: plan a trip to Tijuana. Many places are no longer ‘gringo-friendly’. For a tourist this would require the use of Spanish, and patience. If you don’t have those two skills you better avoid this place.
Reno, United States | Located on the northern shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe, Reno was a serious contender to Las Vegas in the 1950s. But Vegas soon did win this battle because of the ability to built an international airport. Getting to Reno is a pain.
Pyramids of Meroe, Sudan | Egypts ancient glory did reach far more south then you might know. Sudan was part of the empire. Connected with Cairo by the Nile River the desert region of eastern Sudan was an important supply partner for the pharaos. Along the banks of the Nile River lies a forgotten collection of 200 ancient pyramids: tombs of the kings and queens of the Meroitic Kingdom. The so-called Meroe pyramids are smaller than their Egyptian counterparts, with more narrow bases and more steep angles on the sides. The majority of them was built between 700 and 300 B.C. They show decorative elements from Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire.
Once these pyramids were the main attraction for Sudan’s tourist industry. But that’s history. The region has been devastated by a series of economic sanctions imposed by Western nations, by a cruel civil war and the more recent Darfur conflict. Today Sudan welcomes less than 15,000 tourists per year, compared to 200,000 in the past. Still curious? We got more on these forgotten Pyramids. Check out our blog post about the Pyramids of Meroe.
Chateau de Noisy, Belgium | Kind of a hidden gem was ‘Chateau de Noisy’ in Belgium. This castle was built in 1866 by an English architect for the Liedekerke De Beaufort family. The bluebloods had left their previous home during the French Revolution. Construction was completed very late in 1907 after the clock tower finally got its last touch. The descendants of the Liedekerke-De Beaufort family remained in occupation until World War II. But then the castle was occupied by German Nazis. In 1950, ‘Chateau de Noisy’ was taken over by the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB) as an orphanage and also a holiday camp for sick children. In 1978 this institution closed. Nature took over.
Tunnel of Love, Ukraine | We have seen this photo a 1000 times on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook & Co. It’s probably one of the most used snapshots in the world wide web. But the so-called ‘Tunnel of Love’ is located off the beaten path, at an amusement railway near Klevan in Ukraine. Few tourists make it there. Ukraine is a rough place. Still curious? Check out our detailed blog post about Ukraine’s Tunnel of Love.
Canfranc Station, Spain | The railway station at Canfranc in the Pyrenees Mountains opened in 1928 and quickly became a strategic transportation hub between France and Spain. But it all ended abruptly in 1970 when a train derailment demolished the L’Estanguet bridge near Accous on the French side of the mountains. The French decided not to rebuild the bridge, the cross border line was closed and never re-opened. The main building has been re-roofed a few years ago, but is otherwise in a state of disrepair.
Varosha Famagusta, Cyprus | Varosha is the abandoned southern suburb of Famagusta. Prior to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, Varosha was a modern tourist area. Its inhabitants fled during the invasion. The quarter came under Turkish control, and still is under the occupation of the Turkish Armed Forces. Between 1970 and 1974, Varosha was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world – a favorite hot spot of celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, Brigitte Bardot. The quarter continues to be a ghost town. Entry is forbidden. Thank you Turkey.
History of Tourism is a series of interesting articles about past and present of the modern-day tourist industry. Read more blog posts here ->
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3) The first Cruise Ship 1900 Prinzessin Victoria Luise …
4) Sex Tourism since 1950s Thailand, Cuba, Kenya …
5) Space Tourism 2016 Elon Musk vs. Richard Branson …
6) Most popular Countries for Tourists Italy, Italy, Italy …
7) Tourism in Antarctica 50,000+ tourists per year and rising …
8) Forgotten Tourist Destinations
Forgotten Tourist Destinations. By Chili and Churp | © International Destinations | more Travel News here.
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