The Museum of Tourism: A Journey Without Borders
Discover the global legacy of the travel industry through a living, participatory museum spread across the world
Tourism Museum, room 75 (Open since 2022)The Museum of Tourism
Can you imagine an infinite museum, whose headquarters is the entire world? The Museum of Tourism breaks traditional walls to offer a global, living, and decentralized exhibition, dedicated to honoring the fascinating history of travel and those who made it possible.
Tourism Museum, room 111 (Open since 2024)The Museum of Tourism
Driven by a non-profit network of volunteers and collaborators, this unique project rescues old brochures, guidebooks, and objects from oblivion. It does so through "rooms": display cases installed in hotels, agencies, and universities across all five continents.
Tourism Museum, room 48 (Open since 2021)The Museum of Tourism
Join us on this narrative journey through some of its more than a hundred rooms. Each display case is a window into the past, connecting us with the pioneers of tourism and inviting us to rediscover how we have explored the world throughout the decades.
Room 1 (Valladolid, Spain)
Our journey begins in Valladolid, the birthplace of the project. This founding room pays tribute to the Marquis of Vega-Inclán, a visionary pioneer who laid the foundations of modern tourism in Spain, showcasing the early tourism echoes of the city.
Room 61 (Huesca, Spain)
From the pioneers, we move on to the first great globetrotters. In Huesca, this display case gives us a glimpse into the era of early 20th-century travelers, revealing the romanticism of those early journeys through fascinating travel albums.
Room 76 (Varese, Italy)
With the popularization of the automobile, travel changed forever. In Varese, we discover the aesthetics of the road: a nostalgic collection dedicated to the historic gas stations and service stations that were mandatory stops along the route.
Room 28 (Santillana del Mar, Spain)
And after traveling for miles, it's time to rest. In the beautiful Cantabrian town of Santillana del Mar, the museum invites us to discover the origins of Paradores, a unique hotel network in the world born to preserve Spain's valuable monumental heritage.
Room 2 (Gijón, Spain)
Continuing along the Cantabrian coast, we stop in Gijón. Here, tourism memory breathes the sea breeze as it reviews the vacation history of Asturias, from the old spa resorts to its consolidation as a highly sought-after green and natural refuge.
Room 124 (Burgos, Spain)
Leaving the coast behind, our route takes us deep into the heart of Castile. Burgos, a crossroads and key stop on the Camino de Santiago, tells its own history of hospitality here, showing how it forged its identity as a monumental destination.
Room 96 (Segovia, Spain)
The journey through the interior takes us to Segovia, under the shadow of its millennial aqueduct. This room reviews the tourism evolution of a city that, with its rich gastronomy and heritage, quickly captivated domestic and foreign travelers.
Room 5 (Granada, Spain)
Heading south, Andalusian romanticism awaits us. Inside a palatial hotel, this display case reveals the secrets of the tourism awakening of Granada, an enchanting city that attracted writers and artists from all over the world to the Alhambra.
Room 99 (Palma de Mallorca, Spain)
But a destination is also built with art. In Mallorca, we discover the power of imagery through colorful vintage promotional posters, graphic jewels that sold the Mediterranean dream and popularized global sun and beach tourism.
Room 81 (Merano, Italy)
We cross borders once again to delve into the Alps. In Merano, the museum recovers the charm of the Italian Tyrol, remembering those early aristocratic tourists who sought the region's pure air and thermal waters.
Room 111 (Cetinje, Montenegro)
Our European journey leads us to the Balkans. In the former capital of Cetinje, this room stands as a cultural bridge, showing how Montenegro slowly opened its fjord and mountain landscapes to curious travelers of the past.
Room 120 (Campinas, Brazil)
Finally, we cross the ocean to land in Brazil. In Campinas, we prove that this museum has no borders: here, tribute is paid to the immense development of the Brazilian tourism enterprise, concluding our journey through the memory of a universal sector.
This story has been created and developed by the Museum of Tourism, with the aim of disseminating and highlighting the history of tourism, its evolution, and its relationship with cultural, social, and territorial heritage.
The selection of content, texts, and images is part of the research, documentation, and dissemination work carried out by the Museum of Tourism to bring tourism memory and its importance in shaping destinations closer to the public.
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