International Tourism and Transport

Since the 1970s tourism became increasingly affordable for developed economies. The expansion of international tourism has a large impact on the discipline of transport geography. Tourism dominantly takes place in Europe and North America. Traveling has always been an important feature of society. As time moved on an as transportation became more reliable. In the modern world, traveling is more centered around the annual holidays and can be fairly well predicted.

Transport is the key element in the tourism industry. The demand in international and even national transport infrastructures implies a very large number of people who wants to move in an efficient, fast and inexpensive manner. Well organized terminals and intelligently planned schedules are essential in promoting effective transportation facilities for tourists.

Transport is the cause and the effect of the growth of tourism. In order to access their destinations, tourists will use any transportation mode. However, air transport is the main mode for international tourism because of long distances.

The main transport modes used are:

• Car traveling is usually an independent mean of transport. The driver decides where, when and how he is going to get to a destination. It is usually cheaper since roads fees are not directly paid but rather from taxes. The advantages are: flexibility, price, and independence. Tourists will often rent cars to journey within their destinations, using car rental services.
• Coach traveling uses the same road network as cars. Coaches are well suited for local mass tourism. They can be used for short duration local tours (hours) but also can be set for multi-days journeys where the coach is the conveyance
• Rail travel was the dominant form of mass public transport before the age of the automobile. The network is not too flexible, pre-established routes have to be followed. The railway systems of several countries, notably in Europe, have seen massive investments for long-distance routes and high speed services. Due to the scenery or the amenities provided, rail transportation can also be a touristic destination in itself.
• Air transport is by far the most effective transport mode. Notably because of prices, only 12.5% of the tourist travel by plane. But for international travel this share is around 40%. Air transport has revolutionized the geographical aspect of distances. Businesspeople are among the biggest users of airline facilities.
• Cruisesare mainly concentrated towards short sea journeys of about a week. Cruising has become a significant tourist industry; big cruisers are like floating resorts where guests can enjoy luxury and entertainment while moving towards their multiple destinations. The international market for cruising was about 18.3 million tourists in 2010. The main cruise markets are the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, with Alaska and Northern Europe fjords also popular during the summer season. Tourists spend most of their money in the cruise ship itself (gift shops, entertainment, casinos, bars, etc.) or on island facilities owned by cruise shipping companies.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1077