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Were hospitallers some of the earliest tour operators? Cover

Were hospitallers some of the earliest tour operators?

European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation
Volume 15 (2025): Issue 1 (August 2025)
By: ,   and    
Open Access
|Aug 2025
Figures & tables

Figures & Tables

Table 1:

Functions of tour operators.

SELECTED INFORMATIONINCLUSION CRITERIA 1INCLUSION CRITERIA 2EXTRACTION
What is the operation process of a tour operator?What does the operation process make sustain?If the information has been identified in the inclusion criteria, what are the remarks to be extracted?
“It buys individual travel services, such as air transportation, accommodation, and destination services from suppliers such as carriers, hotels, and ground operators, and matches these constituents to produce organized tours and inclusive holidays” (Yarcan Çetin, 2021: 14).

  • - Providing Transportation

  • - Providing Accommodation

Not Mentioned

  • - Brings together supply and demand

  • - Providing transportation and accommodation to tourists

  • - Functions have been conducted by using external suppliers

  • - Use of external resources like carriers, hotels

“Tour operators provide accommodation, meals, and entertainment” (Bryant, 2022).

  • - Providing Accommodation

  • - Providing Food

  • - Providing Entertainment

Not Mentioned

  • - Providing transportation, food, entertainment, and accommodation

“Tour operators are businesses that combine two or more travel services (e.g., transport, accommodation, meals, entertainment, sightseeing, etc.) and sell them through travel agencies or directly to final consumers as a single product (called a package tour) for a global price” (OECD, 2001).

  • - Providing Accommodations

  • - Providing Transportation

  • - Providing Food

  • - Providing Entertainment, events and attractions, and miscellaneous services

Not Mentioned

  • - Providing transportation, food, entertainment, and accommodation to tourists by using internal or external suppliers

  • - It brings together supply and demand

“Tour operator (also called tour wholesalers) makes a package of a tour and its components and sells the ready tour package either through their own company or via retail outlets and approved retail travel agencies” (Zykova, 2017: 8).

  • - Enabling tourists to benefit from the components of a tour

Not Mentioned

  • - It presents components of a tour by using internal or external sources like retail outlets and agencies

  • - Tour operators bring together supply and demand

  • - “The largest tour companies now run their charter airlines” (Holloway, 1952: 37).

  • - “Some larger tour operators also operate their hotels abroad” (Holloway, 1992: 38).

Not MentionedNot Mentioned

  • - Internal or external suppliers have conducted functions

  • - Tour operators achieve supplies in advance

  • “Tour operator is an organisation, firm, or company who buys individual travel components separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold with its price tag to the public directly or through an intermediary is called a Tour Operator” (Shekhawat, 2020: 15).

  • “They buy in bulk, resulting in cheaper inventory costs” (Shekhawat, 2020: 18).

  • Significantly, a tour operator ought to provide services that are about safety and health (like insurance) for their clients beyond standard touristic services (Shekhawat, 2020: 23)

  • - Achieving components and combining them

  • - Presenting components to tourists

  • - Benefits from big-scale economy

  • - Providing Safety and Health services like insurance

Not Mentioned

  • - A tour operator brings supply and demand together

  • - A tour operator can be organised as a different form of structure like a firm, a company, or a different organization

  • - Tour operators achieve supplies in advance

  • - Tour operators provide services for tourist safety and health

In addition to classic services, tour operators also provide safety and health services (Kavitha, 2019).Safety and health insurance during the tourNot Mentioned

  • - Tour operators provide services for tourist safety and health

Sectors which is operated are transportation, accommodation, events, entertainment, food services, and attractions (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2009).Providing transportation, accommodation, events, entertainment, food services, and attractionsNot Mentioned

  • - A comprehensive expression of tour operators' activity

Tour operators' main distribution to the tourism system is maintaining tourist flow (Balderelli, 2000).Not Mentioned

  • - Flow of tourists

  • - Balderelli's information indicates the maintenance feature of tour operators

In the tourism system, tour operators are one of the functioning components that contribute to the outcomes of tourism (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2009:13,17).Not Mentioned

  • - Flow of tourists

  • - Tour operators are components in the tourism system

  • - The tour operator is a factor in a successful tourism process

[i] Source: Authors.

Table 2.

The functions of Hospitallers compared to the functions of tour operators.

SELECTED INFORMATION ABOUT HOSPITALLERSINCLUSION CRITERIA 1INCLUSION CRITERIA 2EXTRACTION AND REMARKS
OPERATIONAL PROCESS OF TOUR OPERATORS (Providing Transportation, Accommodation, Food Services, Entertainment, Safety and Health services, and Miscellaneous Services)WHAT OPERATIONAL PROCESSES MAINTAIN (Flow of tourists)

  • - Providing accommodation

Not Mentioned

  • - Hospitallers conduct more than two operational processes which tour operators carry out.

  • - The operational process is carried out by brethren who are cult members. So, the supply mechanism is internal.

  • - Hospitallers operated a complex with the hospice, a church dedicated to St. Mary of Latins, rooms for monks, and entertainment places for pilgrims (William of Tyre, 1986: 815).

  • - Providing Entertainment

  • - Providing food services

  • - Hospitallers was running a hospital just west of the complex for every pilgrim visiting the Holy Land (William of Tyre, 1986: 815–816).

  • - Providing health, services

  • - Between 1080 and 1291, the administrative centre of Hospitallers was in the Holy Land, and its purpose was to meet the various needs of tire pilgrims during the pilgrimage (Sovereign Order, 2022).

Not Mentioned

  • - Maintain the flow of pilgrims

  • - Information indicates the purpose of the operational processes of the Hospitallers. This implies maintaining the character of Hospitallers.

Hospitallers ran a hospice in Muristan, close to the holy Sepulchure (Sovereign Order, 2022).

  • - Providing accommodation

Not Mentioned

  • - Establishing and operating a hospice for pilgrims fits with one of the operational processes of a tour operator.

During the first period of the history of Hospitallers (1080–1291), the order's activities are for fulfilling the needs of pilgrims (Buttigieg, 2014).Not Mentioned

  • - Flow of pilgrims

  • - Fulfilling the needs of pilgrims maintains the flow of pilgrims

  • - Establishing and operating a hospice for pilgrims fits with one of the operational processes of a tour operator.

Hospitallers' hospice in Muristan and its establishing process have been found again in Buttigieg's study (Buttigieg, 2014).

  • - Providing Accommodation

Not Mentioned
It has never been a predominantly military institution. Their primary purpose was fulfilling the needs of pilgrims in the first period of Hospitallers history (Riley-Smith, 2004)Not Mentioned

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Their feature of being a military organization is misunderstood (Duchesne, 2008: viii). Their functional element of maintenance is the flow of pilgrims.

Hospitallers' purpose is serving to various needs of pilgrims in the Holy Land in the first period of Hospitallers' history (Duchesne, 2008: 41)Not Mentioned

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Hospitallers' primary purpose indicates what Hospitallers maintains

Between 1080–1291, in the Holy Land, the services of Hospitallers were for fulfilling the needs of pilgrims (Riley-Smith, 2010)Not Mentioned

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Hospitallers' activities were maintaining the flow of pilgrims between 1080–1291

Hospitallers operating hospices in the Holy Land for serving to pilgrims (Riley-Smith, 2010)

  • - Providing accommodation

Partly Mentioned

  • - Operating a hospice for pilgrims fits with one of the operational processes of a tour operator

During the construction of the hospices in the Holy Land, a special effort was made to make the architecture pilgrim-friendly (Riley-Smith, 2010).Not Mentioned

  • - Flow of Tourist

  • - Efforts in building a pilgrim-friendly hospice is a reason to think that Hospitallers maintained an element of functioning, namely the flow of pilgrims

When pilgrims died in the holy land, they performed burial of them and carried out funeral rites (Riley-Smith, 2010: 21)

  • - Miscellaneous service

Not MentionedConsidering the importance of religious rituals for medieval people, it can be concluded that this Hospitallers service was precious for pilgrims.
Hospitallers performed funeral activities and erected and ran a chapel in Acre for pilgrims (Riley-Smith, 2010: 23).

  • - Miscellaneous services

Not MentionedHospitallers were providing infrastructure for the religious rituals of pilgrims. This matches to miscellaneous service of a tour operator.
Hospitallers operated a hospice in Holy Land for pilgrims (Krüger & Heinzelman, 2021).

  • - Providing Accommodation

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Operating a hospice for pilgrims fits with one of the operational processes (Accommodation) of a tour operator. Internal source (Run by their members)

In 1113, Pope Paschal II gave the bull Piae postulatio voluntatis* to the Blessed Gerard, who had been most probably a professed member of the St. Mary of Latin (Riley-Smith, 1967; Lagleder, 1983). The bull, given by Rome, the complex where Hospitallers had been operating, was mentioned as hospitalia and Xenodocheum, which meant a “traveller inn” at that time (Miller, 1978).

  • - Providing Accommodation

  • - Providing Health services

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Internal source (Run by their members)

  • - Their acts, which the Pope blessed, were intended to fulfill the needs of pilgrims. When Hospitallers had a bull from the Pope, they became an official institution (a social structure) for maintaining the flow of pilgrims. It matches maintaining an element of a tour operator

  • - Providing accommodation and health, services match with the operational processes of a four operator

Hospitallers operated the St. Mary of Germans complex, which consists of a hospice, a hospital, and a church (Pringle, 2007: Jerusalem Foundation, 2020).

  • - Providing Accommodation

  • - Providing Health. Services

  • - Providing Miscellaneous services

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Providing accommodation, health, services, and miscellaneous services matches the operational processes of a tour operator

  • - Hospitallers facilities were run by their members

Hospitallers also run an infirmary for pilgrims in Aqua Bella (Boas, 2001).

  • - Providing health services

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Providing health services matches the operational process of a tour operator. Internal source (Run by their member) operational processes of tour operators.

The contribution of Hospitallers is taking care of pilgrims by protecting routes for pilgrims against threats to pilgrims' lives and properties, providing shipping, and healing sick pilgrims in their hospitals (Beveridge & O'Gorman, 2012).

  • - Providing Safety

  • - Providing health services

  • - Providing transportation

  • - Flows of pilgrims in between generating geography and destination

  • - Attempts to provide services related to pilgrims are the same as the attitude of modern tour operator organizations.

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • - “By the authority of this our present decree, that that house of God, your Hospital, shall now be placed, and shall forever remain, under the protection of the Apostolic See.”

  • - Providing health services

  • - Bearing in mind hospitalia means not only a hospital but also a traveller inn, Hospitallers provide accommodation

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - By this bull, Hospitallers gained legitimacy

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • -“All things whatsoever, therefore, which by your preserving care and solicitude have been collected for the benefit of the said Hospital, for the support and maintenance of pilgrims, or for relieving the necessities of the poor, whether in the churches of Jerusalem or those of parishes within the limits of other cities.”

  • - Providing health services

  • - Bearing in mind hospitalia means not only the hospital but also traveller inn, Hospitallers provide accommodation

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Fulfilling the needs of pilgrims was directly addressed by the bull. It is significant in terms of showing the maintenance role of Hospitallers

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • - “whatsoever goods have been, or shall be granted to thee, or thy successors, or to the brethren who are occupied in the care and support of pilgrims, by the venerable brethren the bishops of the diocese of Jerusalem; we hereby decree shall be retained by you and undiminished.”

  • - Not mentioned

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Papal bull demonstrates that Hospitaller (called brethren in this passage) was an organisation to fulfil the needs of pilgrims

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • - “Furthermore, all dignities or possessions which your Hospital at present holds either on this side of the water, in Asia, or Europe, as also those which hereafter by God's bounty it may obtain; we confirm them to you and to your successors, who shall devote themselves with pious zeal to the cares of hospitality, and through you to the said Hospital in perpetuity.”

  • - Providing health services

  • - Bearing in mind hospitalia means not only the hospital but also traveller inn, Hospitallers provide accommodation

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Bull demonstrates that activities of Hospitallers were not only in the Holy Land but also in Asia and Europe in 1113 operational processes of tour operators.

The contribution of Hospitallers is taking care of pilgrims by protecting routes for pilgrims against threats to pilgrims' lives and properties, providing shipping, and healing sick pilgrims in their hospitals (Beveridge & O'Gorman, 2012).

  • - Providing Safety

  • - Providing health services

  • - Providing transportation

  • - Flows of pilgrims in between generating geography and destination

  • - Attempts to provide services related to pilgrims are the same as the attitude of modern tour operator organizations.

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • - “By the authority of this our present decree, that that house of God, your Hospital, shall now be placed, and shall forever remain, under the protection of the Apostolic See.”

  • - Providing health services

  • - Bearing in mind hospitalia means not only a hospital but also a traveller inn, Hospitallers provide accommodation

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - By this bull, Hospitallers gained legitimacy

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • - “All things whatsoever, therefore, which by your preserving care and solicitude have been collected for the benefit of the said Hospital, for the support and maintenance of pilgrims, or far relieving the necessities of the poor, whether in the churches of Jerusalem or those of parishes in the limits of other cities.”

  • - Providing health services

  • - Bearing in mind hospitalia means not only the hospital but also traveller inn, Hospitallers provide accommodation

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Fulfilling the needs of pilgrims was directly addressed by the bull. It is significant in terms of showing the maintenance role of Hospitallers

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • - “whatsoever goods have been, or shall be granted to thee, or thy successors, or to the brethren who are occupied in the care and support of pilgrims, by the venerable brethren the bishops of the diocese of Jerusalem; we hereby decree shall be retained by you and undiminished.”

  • - Not mentioned

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Papal bull demonstrates that Hospitaller (called brethren in this passage) was an organisation to fulfil the needs of pilgrims

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • - “Furthermore, all dignities or possessions which your Hospital at present holds either on this side of the water, in Asia, or Europe, as also those which hereafter by God's bounty it may obtain; we confirm them to you and to your successors, who shall devote themselves with pious zeal to the cares of hospitality, and through you to the said Hospital in perpetuity.”

  • - Providing health services

  • - Bearing in mind hospitalia means not only the hospital but also traveller inn, Hospitallers provide accommodation

  • - Flow of Pilgrims

  • - Bull demonstrates that activities of Hospitallers were not only in the Holy Land but also in Asia and Europe in 1113

  • PAPAL BULL (Pope Paschal II., 1113)

  • “As to the Hospitals or Poor Houses in the Western provinces, in the Borgo of St. Egidio, Asti, Pisa, Bari, Otranto, Taranto, and Messina, which are distinguished by the title of Hospitals of Jerusalem, we decree that they shall forever remain, as they are this day, under the subjection and disposal of yourself and your successors.”

  • - Providing health services

  • - Bearing in mind hospitalia means not only the hospital but also traveller inn, Hospitallers provide accommodation

Not Mentioned

  • - Bull demonstrates how the vast geographv of Hospitallers operations was held

Source: Authors.

* Piae postulatio voluntatis is a significant official document from which we learn about the acts that Hospitallers conducted. This bull was a milestone for officially extending their activities (operational processes) into Europe.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ejthr-2025-0005 | Journal eISSN: 2182-4924 | Journal ISSN: 2182-4916
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Language: English
Page range: 64 - 80
Submitted on: Apr 2, 2024
Accepted on: Aug 1, 2024
Published on: Aug 14, 2025
Published by: Polytechnic Institute of Leiria
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year
Keywords:
Functionalism,
Hospitallers,
systematic literature review,
tour operator,
tourism history
Related subjects:
Business and economics,
Business management,
Business management, other,
Industries,
Tourism, hospitality, travel,
Event industry, leisure industry,
Sports and recreation,
Sports and recreation, other

© 2025 Emine Yilmaz, Ekin Enver Yilmaz, Richard Butler, published by Polytechnic Institute of Leiria
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 15 (2025): Issue 1 (August 2025)
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