Introduction: ‘Travelling’ means going from place to place, from country to country. Travelling is one of the most important activity of human-life. Many of the purposes of human-life are fulfilled through travelling.
What is the meaning of Travelling?
Travelling refers to the activities of making journeys, typically a lengthy one, from one geographic location to another.
Travelling means that going from one place to another, usually over a long distance, by foot, motor-car, train, airplane, ship, or by any modes,
- can be both within the country or between the countries,
- for a short period of time, but can be of longer duration as well,
- usually accompanied with some luggage such as suitcases, bags, etc. that contains the personal belongings of the traveler,
- usually with the intention of returning back, but can be one way journey as well,
- for business purposes as a salesperson, agent, representative of firm, etc. or for personal purpose such as health, pleasure, recreation, etc. or any other purpose.
Travelling in Ancient vs. Modern Times.
Travelling in Ancient times: The ancient people knew the need and importance of travelling. Travelling was very difficult and risky during ancient days. But, these risks didn’t prevent them to travel from one place to another distant place.
In pre-historic and ancient times, man would travel from one place to another in search of food and shelter.
Travelling in Modern world: Travelling has now become very easy, fast, and comfortable. The invention of wheels and wheel based vehicles have revolutionized the way modern people move from one place to another. Science has invented electricity, railways, steam-ship, automobile vehicles, and airplanes. A traveler can now move around the earth in a week without any trouble.
Importance of Travelling
The importance of travelling have been discussed below in points:
1. Health, happiness and pleasure: Travelling is the most important means of gaining health, happiness, an pleasure. Travelling is mostly for pleasure as it gladdens out heart and broadens our mind.
We find great pleasure in seeing the beauties of nature. The mighty mountains and the meadows, the streams and the river, the deep blue sky, the green trees, the grand desert and the vast sea – all touch the heart of the traveler.
2. Travelling is a good part of education. It is said that learning from books is only one part of education. Travelling is another part of it. Rabindranath Tagore said ‘In education, reading and seeing must be combined’.
Travelling educates the travelers. We gather immense knowledge on a thing that we see and experience around us. On knowledge on a particular subject gets more perfect when we visit the actual places.
The student life is incomplete without travel education. The knowledge we acquire from books and teachers is surely an essential part of our education. All our doubts and questions cease to exist when we see things with our own eyes.
Travelling makes different subjects of study vivid and interesting. We read the majesty of the Himalayan mountain ranges, the vastness of the ocean, and the beauty of the Taj Mahal from books. But we can know much more of them if we see them with our own eyes.
Travelling perfects our knowledge of books studied in schools and colleges. Books are the first part of our education. A student of history, for example, will find himself face to face with the history of the past, when he visits the historic places.
Also read: Short Essay on Importance of Travelling in Education
3. Travelling broadens our outlook. We can know much about the people of a country we travel in. All this open our heart and mind. Travelling enhances our knowledge, broadens our outlook and removes monotony.
4. Opportunity to meet new people: Travelling brings us into contact with different people and different ways of life. We study closely their religions, customs, and manners. We get the opportunity of meeting new people and seeing new things.
5. Travelling promotes us to develop national unity through the realization of diversity. We can overcome our narrowness, prejudices and superstitions too.
6. We do not like to remain confined to a place. We want to go out and see things outside our locality. In fact, to see the unseen and to know the unknown is inherent in human nature. This curiosity leads men to travel from one place to another.
7. Travelling offers synthesis of cultures. Travelling makes us familiar with the vast world outside the narrow space of our homes. We meet many people belonging to various cultures. We start appreciating the tradition, manners and customs of other people. We often accept and introduce some of their good elements in our own culture.