It has traditionally been held that tourism is more closely related to the social sciences, such as economics, sociology, history, law, politics, anthropology, geography, and management --among others. While this is almost self-evident, it is no less a fact that tourism has always been dependent on advanced technologies relating to transportation, energy, communications, computing, public infrastructures and services, entertainment, hospitality, health, security and many other. As these technologies have advanced fast, through innovation and investments, in the last part of the 20th century and first decade of the 21st, the links between tourism and the hard sciences and technologies have become more and more evident. 

On the other hand, many knowledge management institutions such as universities, research centres, science and technological parks, science sites and facilities, museums etc. as well as UNESCO and other international organizations have realized that tourism is an excellent outreach instrument to make science, technology and knowledge in general more attractive and accessible to the general public. Specifically, it is also a good way of creating an interest in younger persons and their choice of professional careers. As the educational level of the new generations increases --and this is mow realized by more and more institutions (including private concerns)-- there is a growing interest in the role of tourism as an outreach tool for science and technology and their deepening role in society. The UlyssesFoundation wishes to be at the forefront of these initiatives and is already engaged in programmes with this objective.