At that time the resources and especially money is scarce since the economy is just starting to recover again after the war. The businessmen needs cash or capital to simply buy and sell goods or to start a business.
i hope my answer helped you.
The Phoenicians imported so much papyrus from Egypt that the Greeks used their name for the first great Phoenician port, Byblos, to refer to the ancient paper. The name Bible, or "the book," also derives from Byblos. Today, Spencer Wells says, "Phoenicians have become ghosts, a vanished civilization."
Answer:
European nations were rival and they also wanted to get colonies to gain an advantage over their rivals plus it was a sign of prestige and power
