Travel literature is a coherent narrative of people, events, sights, feelings, adventure and exploration by an author touring a foreign locale. Travel writings related to essay, guidebook, travelogue or itinerary have overlapping boundaries, so are grouped together as travel literature. This article focuses on travel literature that is more of interest to a tourist.
History of Travel Writing
Petrarch ascended Mount Ventoux in 1336 and wrote about this pleasant travel to see the top of the mountain. He made an allegorical comparison between climbing the mountain and his own moral progress in life. After him many travelers noted their travel impressions. In 1589 Richard Hakluyt published his travel voyages, which remain the foundational text of the travel literature. Robert Louis Stevenson is pioneer of tourism literature.
Types of Travelogues
Some great travel specialists, travel worldwide and make their living by writing about it. Paul Theroux, Jan Morris (travel historian), Eric Newby and William LH Moon are a few of them. Some authors travel writing intersects essay writing e.g. V.S. Naipauls India, A wounded civilization and Rebecca Wests Black lamb...