Travelers in Bahia in the 18th century: motives and impressions of accommodation services

Abstract

Initially, this article presents an overview of the development of organized travel throughout the 19th century, pointing out aspects that influenced its expansion in the western world. Next, it focuses on the main motives that led various individuals to choose Brazil and Bahia2 as a travel destination. Finally, it points out aspects related to accommodation and food in Bahia in the 18th century. This study is based on the travel diaries of seven travelers - Conde de Suzannet, Louis Agassiz, Maximiliano de Habsburgo, Maria Graham, Princesa Therese da Baviera, Robert Avé-Lallemant and Thomas Lindley - and information found in the following newspapers Alabama, Jornal da Tarde, O Commercio, O Século and O Interesse Público, all published in Bahia in the nineteenth century. The analysis shows the importance of these trips, which formed the origins of the international tourism that exists in the city today and the formation of consumer and service markets related to travel. Key words: Travel in the Eighteen Hundreds, Motives, Services.