What encouraged long-distance trade in the High Middle Ages?

The Crusades in the Holy Land introduced Europeans to Eastern goods.

Explanation:

Medieval merchants reopened and expanded contact with other parts of the world. In this way, they continued what European Crusaders had begun. Merchants and explorers traveled farther in the Late Middle Ages. This brought them back into contact with the people of Africa and Asia. Trade expanded, and they brought back goods and ideas from these lands. Some cities and communities formed groups for mutual defense of their trade and markets. These changes set the stage for the Age of Exploration that would soon follow.