The
growth of tourism has become a contemporary phenomenon experienced
by all countries in the world. International tourist arrivals alone
reached as high as 546 million in 1994 and is forecasted to rise
to 937 million in 2010, according to WTO. But why do people like
traveling so much?
In Maslow's
opinion, there is a hierarchy
of universal wants and needs found in every human being. Ultimately
at the top of the hierarchy there are the needs for self-actualization
of self- realization, that is, the need to develop one’s own potential,
the need for aesthetic
stimulation, the need to create or to build one’s own personality
and character, etc.. Then tourism turns
out to be a good solution, since it provides ample
chances to satisfy most of the needs, and the needs, in turn, constitute
major motivational factors for people to travel and go on vacation.
Even “self-actualization” may be achieved when a long-held dream
comes
true on a certain trip. 
Probably the most common reason for
travel is
associated with our physical well-being. Actually,
travel for sports is one of the fastest growing generators of travel.
The motivational force of spectator sports is, however, more complex.
There is the desire to get
away from routine, to identify with teams and individuals,
which gives people a sense of belonging, and to dream of the role
one would fulfill if he were playing. Here, the effect may be felt
more mentally than physically. In the fast-moving modern society
where strain and stress have become part of an individual’s life,
people tend to have a change in environment and activities in order
to rest and relax.
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