5. Why do people travel?

5.1 Read the quotes. What are they about?

a) I like to be active on holiday – visit museums, galleries, that sort of thing.

b) We spent last Christmas in the mountains outside Kyoto – that’s where my son lives now, his wife’s Japanese.

c) I want to see as much of the world as possible. I’m meeting up with a bunch of friends next month and we’re going hiking in the Himalayas.

d) We go to the beach every summer. I just want to relax and switch off and get some sun.

e) I have to visit our sales offices in Poland and the Netherlands four or five times a year. It’s hard work, but I really like Poznan and Rotterdam.

5.2 Write down the last three trips you or members of your family made, and the reason.

5.3 Work in groups. Show each other the trips you wrote down. Can you put the different reasons into categories?

5.4 Read two texts and summarize the information given in them Why do people travel? Text 1

People travel for many different reasons. In the tourism industry we divide the reasons for travel into three main categories: leisure tourism, business tourism, and visiting friends and relatives (usually abbreviated to VFR).

Leisure tourism can mean anything from excursions, day trips, and weekends breaks to package holidays. Pleasure cruises, and longer independent trips such as hillwalking or 1 …. in the mountains. It also includes cultural trips (for example, to 2 ….), educational trips (for example, study tours), and religious trips (for example, 3 …. on a walking tour to a holy place).

Business tourism includes any travel away from one’s main place of residence, for such events as meetings, conferences, and trade fairs. It also includes special trips when workers are given a 4 …. or a “thank you” for good work (this is known as an incentive tour).

Travel in order to visit friends or family relatives is also regarded as part of the tourism industry. This could be for a special family party, such as a reunion or a 5 …., or a regular trip made every year.

Text 2

Why do people travel? There are many reasons one can think of when asked questions such as these.

One of the most common reasons why people choose to travel is to get away from their current situations and locations, either for a quick vacation or as a means of finding one’s self. Other answers you get when you ask “why do people travel?” include to enjoy new experiences, to learn and experience new languages, new food, and new cultures.

Compared to previous decades, people travel more nowadays because the economies are better and the advancements in transportation make it easier to do so. If family members do not reside in the same country or are probably working abroad, other family members would want to visit them and would do so as frequently as their resources would allow. Visiting families and friends in different states or countries are probably the most important reasons for taking time off to travel.

Another important reason that people provide when asked “why do people travel?” is that they are …. . Some people travel to the major cities to pursue their dream jobs. People from the rural areas often move to the urbanized areas to have better chances of getting high-paying job offers. Others prefer certain states or cities for their specialties or the industries that are …. . For example, if you wanted to work for the automotive industry, you’d move to Detroit, where the Big Three auto companies, specifically General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, have the center of their operations.

Spending a few weeks of winter in a summer destination …. popularity as a reason for people travelling. Most Americans can travel within the country to experience different seasons. For example, when it’s winter in New York or Maine, they have the option to travel to the sunny parts of the country such as in …. . Europeans have to travel further south to countries in the southeastern part of Asia and the Middle Eastern countries.

Travelling to experience a …. is also a popular answer to the question about travelling. The chance to be exposed to new sights, different people and varied experiences can give people the chance to challenge themselves and to find out new things about themselves. The …. called “Amazing Race,” for example, shows how people can learn much not only about the places they travel to but also about their personal limitations.

So, why do people travel? The reasons can vary but whatever your reason for …. and jumping on the next train away from here, don’t forget to enjoy.