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Abstract

Marco Polo’s Travels is an account of a journey he made with his father and uncle to the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. As such, it has long been recognized as one of the world’s great travelogues and an important source for historians of the medieval period. In addition, however, it is a seminal work for the study of marketing history. After reviewing some textual concerns related to the Travels, this article examines the environment for international trade in the late thirteenth century, then analyzes the categories of marketing information that Marco presented. In conclusion, it offers an assessment of the Travels as a treatise on international marketing and as an important stimulus to the development of international trade in the centuries that followed its first appearance.

Keywords

Marco Polo trade routes international-marketing Mongol Empire Venice

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Marco Polo: International Marketing Pioneer

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