Man has travelled since time immemorial. Yet tourism, in terms of pleasure trips and travel, is a more recent phenomenon, which has been around for barely three centuries in Europe and a mere two hundred years in Luxembourg. Today, tourism is criticised for having a negative impact and for lacking authenticity. Nevertheless, even sceptics do not wish to abandon the pleasures of tourism. While many steer clear of tourists, everyone loves going on holiday.

The tourism trend has since expanded to a global level. Travel is no longer a privilege restricted to westerners. In Luxembourg as elsewhere, more and more non-western tourists are being welcomed. In view of this unprecedented boom, calls are being made for the tourism phenomenon to be re-examined. Claiming that "the world of tourism" is richer than it appears through the eyes of its critics, these voices advocate a new and multidisciplinary view that looks beyond commonly held beliefs. The exhibition Greetings from Luxembourg. A journey into the world of tourism adheres to this point of view.

Organised by the Luxembourg City History Museum in the context of the 75th anniversary of the Luxembourg City Tourist Office, Greetings from Luxembourg invites visitors to experience our way of being and our outlook as tourists. At the same time, the exhibition reveals aspects and elements characterising the beginnings of the tourism phenomenon and its functioning in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Finally, it encourages visitors to foster, on a more daily basis, the curiosity that is inherent in the tourist gaze.

Date

26 April > 12 October 2008