“Tourism × Peace”: The History of Humanity Woven by Tourism and Security

1. Tourism and War: Two Sides of the Same Coin Since Ancient Times

Throughout history, travel and war have been inextricably linked. Humans have moved in search of new living and trading areas, and when they encountered external enemies in the process, they launched expeditions into enemy territory to fight for land and trade rights. Through this process, they developed means of transportation, methods for carrying necessary supplies, and maps to guide their journeys, thereby establishing the various tools that form the basis of modern travel.

These methods have undergone various developments throughout history. Food preservation techniques, exemplified by dried meat, made naval battles and expeditions like the Peloponnesian War possible, while the invention and refinement of the compass ushered in the Age of Discovery, leading to European domination of the world. To travel long distances, including by sea, humanity made various inventions, and the very fact that such travel became possible often led to the ironic situation of invasions and disputes occurring at the destinations reached.

However, these advancements in transportation also made travel unrelated to warfare possible. A prime example of this—and, in a sense, a form of tourism in its infancy—is pilgrimage. The oldest pilgrimage in human history is likely the Jewish pilgrimage to Solomon’s Temple. However, given the geographical scope of Jewish life at the time, this pilgrimage involved travel within a relatively limited area. Yet, as Christianity spread and the number of Christian pilgrims traveling from Europe to the Holy Land of Jerusalem increased, travel for purposes other than military or trade flourished. It is well known that the pilgrim churches where these travelers stayed were called “hospices,” and the hospitality offered there is the origin of the word “hospitality.”

On the other hand, these pilgrimages also gave rise to a different form of warfare. The Crusades, as is well known, are a prime example. While there are various theories, the Crusades—which originated at the Council of Clermont in 1095—were a series of wars waged by Western European nations over nearly 200 years in nine separate campaigns, aimed at recapturing the Holy Land of Jerusalem from Islamic states. These large-scale expeditions, undertaken at a time when medieval transportation systems were underdeveloped, saw some succeed and others fail; however, in the process, travel routes connecting Western Europe and the Middle East were established. The Mediterranean Sea, which served as a transport route and supply base for the Crusades, and the Republics of Venice and Genoa—representative coastal states of the region—prospered during this period. Venice, in particular, used the Fourth Crusade to secure Zara and Constantinople, reaching its zenith and laying the foundation for its development as a modern tourist destination.

War involves transporting large numbers of combat personnel along with the weapons, food, and other supplies they require. To facilitate this, sea routes and roads were developed. Furthermore, to procure food and other necessities locally, services for supplying food, water, fuel, and other provisions along the march routes became established. While camping was common for lodging, people also stayed in monasteries and fortresses; even without commercial lodging facilities, arrangements for accommodating large groups of people were developed.

Thus, alongside warfare, a series of facilities and infrastructure—such as roads, means of transportation, lodging, and the replenishment and provision of essentials like food and drink—that form the foundation of tourism were developed and established to facilitate the movement of large groups of people at once.

It has long been a destination for pilgrims and, at times, a site of conflict.

2. The Relationship Between Tourism and War as Industry Developed

In the 19th century, the practical application of railroads and steamships rapidly improved people’s mobility, but once again, it was the military sector that was the first to adopt and utilize these advancements. Helmut von Moltke, who later became Chief of the General Staff of Prussia and a Field Marshal of the German Empire, recognized the utility of railways while serving concurrently as a director of the Berlin-Hamburg Railway and actively advocated for their military use. Moltke established a railway section within the General Staff, consulted with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry regarding the military use of railways, and demanded the construction of a double-track railway for each corps in western Prussia. The rapid development of railways in the mid-19th century transformed the nature of warfare. Specifically, it made possible a strategy of dispersed advances followed by concentration at the decisive battlefield; Prussia, having expanded its railway network, went on to win both the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War.

As warfare modernized, maps were created to accurately grasp the terrain. Not only did engineers and military personnel travel to survey and map the terrain, but the precise maps and railway route diagrams produced as a result also contributed to tourism during peacetime.

The railway network, which was rapidly developed not only for military purposes but also from the perspectives of industry and logistics, facilitated the movement of people and, as a result, gave rise to the concept of rail travel. Compared to travel by horse-drawn carriage or on foot, rail travel not only dramatically increased the distances people could travel but also contributed to the safety of travel. At that time, traveling on foot or by carriage carried a high risk of encountering robbers and other criminals, whereas the railway significantly reduced that risk. The railway made it easy for the wealthy to travel for the purpose of escaping the summer or winter heat, and, of course, it was also used for sightseeing, just as it is today. In particular, in Britain, the Grand Tour—an overseas journey undertaken by the children of the wealthy upon completing their studies to broaden their education—saw its scope of travel and range of activities expanded thanks to the railway. While this differed from modern school trips in that it was a long-term journey accessible only to the wealthy, who could afford the costs of accompanying tutors, it can be considered a precursor to educational travel.

It was also in the mid-19th century that Thomas Cook—often regarded as the founder of the modern travel agency—began organizing group tours, marking the period when the modern forms of travel and tourism took root. Indeed, the modernization of tourism was established in parallel with the modernization of warfare.

Entering the 20th century, the invention and practical application of tanks, airplanes, submarines, and wireless communication further modernized the nature of warfare. These advancements in transportation and communication made it possible to transport people farther, faster, and more safely, which inevitably spurred the development of tourism. The first airline established for the purpose of passenger transport was Deutsche Luftfahrt-Aktiengesellschaft (DELAG), founded in October 1909—well before the outbreak of World War I in 1914. However, this airline operated rigid airships, primarily for sightseeing and on irregular routes connecting Hamburg with other regions.

Civilian air transport was temporarily suspended due to World War I, but once the war ended, passenger transport became active using surplus military aircraft. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, established in 1919 immediately after the end of World War I and considered the oldest surviving airline, was a representative airline that began operations using precisely this business model.

3. The Two World Wars and Tourism

The interwar period between World War I and World War II was a time of fleeting peace, but historically, it was also a period when the economic depression caused by the Great Depression and the resulting international tensions over economic blocs and colonies gradually came to the fore.To secure railway rights, sea routes, and air routes, nations stationed troops at bases along railway lines and on islands, developed airfields, and dispatched naval fleets. During this period, aircraft in particular underwent remarkable technological advancements, while warships—influenced by disarmament treaties—saw technological innovations in various areas, such as the enhancement of non-battleship vessels and the installation of powerful armaments within limited displacement limits.

These technological innovations, along with the development and maintenance of rail, air, and sea routes, ultimately led to a boom in civilian travel.It was also in 1935 that the famous South Manchuria Railway’s “Asia” train connected Dalian and Harbin in 13 hours and 30 minutes. The “Asia” was equipped with air conditioning in all cars—a groundbreaking feature at the time—and featured a dining car and an observation car. It offered services comparable to today’s premium trains and cruise trains, such as serving cocktails onboard, and was highly regarded by travelers of the era.The “Yamato Hotels” established by the South Manchuria Railway itself along the route were modern, high-quality accommodations, foreshadowing today’s hotel chains that guarantee consistent quality through a unified brand. Furthermore, incorporating lodging facilities into railway corridor development was an advanced model for its time.

After World War I, Japan assumed the mandate for the former German-held South Pacific islands. Due to the constraints of this mandate, Japan was unable to establish military facilities there; consequently, it focused on developing air routes in the region with an eye toward securing transportation hubs and future military utilization. Specifically, in 1939, Dai-Nippon Airlines launched a regular air route between Yokohama, Saipan, and Palau, operating civilian air transport using civilian versions of the Navy’s Type 97 flying boat. In 1940, a regular air route was established between Bangkok, Thailand—one of the few independent nations in Southeast Asia—and Tokyo, allowing connections in Bangkok with Imperial Airways (UK), KLM, and Air France. Notably, much of Dai-Nippon Airlines’ aircraft and crew were soon incorporated into the “Special 13th Transport Flight Squadron” during the “Greater East Asia War” that was about to begin, playing a key role in the war effort.

Although transportation developed in this way and an environment similar to modern travel and tourism was established in the first half of the 20th century, overseas travel by aircraft was still largely limited to the business needs of a select few bureaucrats, military personnel, and civilians. For the general public, overseas travel was not yet something that anyone could easily undertake.

It was the Third Reich (Nazi Germany) that systematically promoted this concept of leisure among the populace and utilized it as a national policy. In 1933, the Third Reich established the "KdF" (Kraft durch Freude) as a subsidiary organization of the German Labor Front. Under state supervision, this organization planned travel, tourism, sports, concerts, and various festivals. Its purpose was to enhance the welfare of the people and, through these activities, increase their cooperation with the Nazi regime.

Among the KdF’s initiatives, travel and tourism were a particular focus. The KdF built a massive resort facility on the island of Rügen and organized package tours and music concerts via cruise ships, thereby making leisure activities—previously out of reach for the working class—widely available to the entire population. These KdF-organized trips can be considered the precursors to modern package tours, and by the late 1930s, the KdF itself had grown to such a scale that it was effectively regarded as the world’s largest travel agency.

Although the timeline differs, in Japan, as a large-scale military event involving mass movements, the “Army Special Grand Maneuvers” were held annually from 1892 to 1936—excluding the early years and the period of the Russo-Japanese War—in which multiple divisions, divided into two corps, participated in exercises involving tens of thousands of troops. These maneuvers were held at different locations each year, taking place across the country from Hokkaido in the north to Kagoshima in the south. While divisions stationed in the vicinity of the exercise area participated, the event was also a major spectacle attracting large crowds of onlookers—including not only officials from the General Staff Office and other central agencies on temporary assignment but also local residents—due to the Emperor’s presence. Vendors and other merchants flocked to the training grounds and exercise sites, banking on these spectators. The general public would buy boxed lunches from the vendors and watch the exercises, creating a scene reminiscent of modern events and festivals.

Several anti-aircraft turrets built during World War II still stand in Vienna and Hamburg. Because they are massive and sturdy, they are difficult to demolish; while some have been repurposed for other facilities, others, like this one, have been left to stand. In recent years, these wartime relics have quietly gained popularity as destinations for dark tourism.

4. The Development of Tourism in the Postwar Era and Tourism as a Peace Industry

Following Japan’s defeat in World War II, the rapid postwar reconstruction of the economy and infrastructure led to an expansion in transportation demand, prompting the development of transportation networks to meet this need. Much of the military-industrial complex that had developed before and during the war was converted to civilian production, and in Japan, aided by the special demand generated by the Korean War, industry and the economy—centered on manufacturing—recovered rapidly. Tadanori Miki, a former Navy Technical Lieutenant Commander who had been involved in the development of the “Ginga” bomber and the “Ouka” kamikaze aircraft at the Naval Air Technical Arsenal, later contributed to the development of the Shinkansen 0 Series, helping to establish postwar high-speed mass transit. Catering companies that had developed alongside the increased mobilization of the military began producing a wide variety of ekiben (station boxed lunches) tailored to each region, thereby meeting the demand for food during the tourism and business travel booms of the high-growth era. Thus, the legacy of World War II was utilized for the development of tourism in the postwar period.

It is often said that human history is the history of war, but as we have seen above, tourism has also developed while being closely intertwined with war in various forms. However, in recent years, attention has increasingly focused on tourism’s role as a “peace industry” that helps deter war.

Dark tourism is one such example. Dark tourism is a form of travel in which people witness and experience the mistakes committed by humanity or the disasters of the past, gaining lessons from this negative heritage to prevent the repetition of tragedies and reflecting on their own actions. Well-known examples include the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. By its very nature, dark tourism is characterized by a high concentration of sites and ruins related to war. War-related dark tourism takes place not only at these well-known locations but also in various places around the world. For example, in Prague, Czech Republic, walking tours are organized that allow participants to learn about and experience the history of the Nazi occupation by visiting various sites in the city where the SS was involved.

By visiting these facilities and sites, people learn about the horrors of nuclear weapons and the tragedy of the Holocaust, reflect on the mistakes of history, and each consider the importance of preventing such events from recurring. In that sense, while they represent a negative legacy of the past, they function as places of learning that contribute to peace and security in the present and future.

On the other hand, some of these war-related facilities and sites are linked to ideology and propaganda, fostering hostility rather than reflecting on past tragedies. We must also accept the reality that war-related facilities and sites carry the risk of having entirely different effects depending on how they are presented and experienced.

Tourism involves visiting different regions, which inevitably leads to some form of interaction with local people and cultural artifacts, albeit to varying degrees. Consequently, if visitors have a positive experience, their image of that destination naturally improves. This, in turn, has the potential to contribute to the prevention of war. According to a survey conducted by the Genron NPO in 2024, while less than 3% of Chinese people who had never visited Japan held a favorable image of the country, 55.6% of Chinese people who had visited Japan held a favorable image of it. In other words, tourism allows people to come into contact with the people and cultures of different countries and regions, which has the potential to foster favorable impressions and promote mutual understanding. If mutual understanding through tourism increases in this way, it is expected that security threats will decrease accordingly, and the risk of war will also decline relatively.

The contribution of tourism to peace is not limited to its psychological benefits. Tourism is fundamentally an activity that involves spending in the destination country. In relatively poor developing nations, the money spent by inbound tourists constitutes valuable foreign currency and serves as an export industry that generates immediate cash revenue for the local economy. In other words, it represents a transfer of income and wealth from wealthy nations to poorer ones. Given that wars often arise from economic disparities, this transfer of wealth can, in the long run, help nip the seeds of war in the bud. Tourism thus serves a dual purpose: it simultaneously fosters mutual understanding among people and facilitates the transfer of wealth.

It is often said that while technology has developed alongside war, it has also contributed to human progress. Tourism has similarly developed alongside war, yet it is also a “peace industry” that contributes to national security. Moreover, anyone can start participating in it tomorrow, and it likely offers a meaningful and enjoyable experience for the individual. For our country, which is facing a shrinking population and intense international competition across various industries, the fact that tourism is one of the most promising industries for the future offers great hope in a world still plagued by unceasing conflict.