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TOURIST TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Tourism and Transportation Interrelationship
The Geography of the Transport Systems
The improvement of facilities and infrastructure motivated the development of the tourism industry. Its
progression leads to a transport system as people need to transfer from one place to another. People need
accessible transportation, and this demand and fluctuation need to urge further development in terms of
having stabilized modes of transportation – land, air, and sea. And over the years, the growth of urgency for
transportation increased substantially.
Tourism transport can be categorized into two (2):
1. Independent means of travel – this includes that transportation in high demand because of the people
who book on their own, which can be reflected as regularly scheduled flights, rail bookings, ferries,
and cruises on an individual basis; this goes along with private automobiles as well.
2. Mass travel – this includes the transport of an organized group. This includes reserved buses or flights
for a certain group with a single purpose or same destination. Before the COVID-19 pandemic
happened, traveling in a group is more efficient for some people as it is cheaper than booking on your
own.
As this development and demand continually occurring, the relationship between the tourism industry and
the transportation system is becoming more observable.
A systems approach is applied to understand the interrelationship between tourism and transportation. In this
approach, tourism is defined by McIntosh and et al. (as cited in Page, 2016) as a “set of inter-related groups
co-ordinated to form a unified whole to accomplish a set of goals in an organized manner.” To simplify this
definition, tourism is described as a system where exchange processes happen between four (4) integrating
components, which are the market (or the tourists), the travel element (the act of traveling), the destination,
and the marketing mechanism.
Leiper further explains this through the definition of the system, which is “a set of elements or parts that are
connected by at least one (1) distinguishing principle. The set of elements in this instance are the integrating
components, which are all connected by a distinguishing principle, which is tourism (Page, 2016). In Leiper’s
explanation, the elements of the tourism system were expanded into the following:
• Tourist
• A traveler-generating region
• Tourism destination region
• Transit routes
• Travel and tourism industry
This explanation analyzes and describes that transport is an integral part of the tourism system. It connects
the tourist-generating regions and destination regions. Thus, creating a tourist transportation system that
involves the tourist activity of traveling using transportation.
Tourism System
The tourism system (figure 1) was originated from Leiper’s Tourism System, which conceptualizes the structure
of the tourism industry. As visualized, the system correlates with each component – the tourists, the
geographical features, and the tourism industry. The tourists are the major generator of this system. Without
tourists, there’s no one to consume the elements. They are the movers and the engine that made the tourism
industry’s production possible.

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The geographical features are represented through the tourist generating area, the tourist in transportation,
and the tourist destination. The tourist generating area is the places where the tourists travel from. The tourist
destination is the place tourists visit, and the tourist in transportation is mainly the part made up of the
transport infrastructure that caters to these tourists.
The tourism industry is the core of the tourism system. Every element in this system and its movement is from
and for the said industry.
These three (3) components can’t function without each other. It is impossible to see the outbound and
returning tourists flow without the tourists’ area of origin and destination, and they can’t travel back and forth
without the transport system. Generally, the tourism system is a simple depiction of how the industry depends
on people, destinations, and the transportation sector to move freely and assess the growth of the tourism
industry.

Outbound Tourists Flow

Tourist Tourist
Generating Destination
Area Tourist in transportation

Returning Tourists Flow

Figure 1. Tourism System

Source: Transport and Tourism: Global Perspectives, 2016. p.19

Role of Transportation in Tourism

The transportation system has a significant relationship with the tourism industry as it is one of its operations
drivers.
One can’t stand without the other as they are codependent.
The following are important factors to understand the role of transportation to tourists:
• The tourists
• The integral relationship between transport and the overall tourist experience
• The effect of transportation problem on the perception of travelers
• The requirement for safe, reliable, and efficient mode of transportation
An individual who purchases a tourism product must make a trip to experience or access it. This prompts the
individual’s trip as an important aspect of his/her experience in accessing the tourism product. Therefore, the
trip becomes a key element of the individual’s overall tourist experience. The efficiency of transportation also
contributes to tourists' choices on which destination they will go to.
Transport also plays an important role in the tourism industry as traveling is a fundamental element of tourism.
Travel is defined by the World Tourism Organization (as cited in Dileep, 2019) as moving between different
geographic locations, for any purpose and any duration. However, the role of transport is not limited to only
moving tourists from their place of origin to their destination (and vice versa). As tourism continues to grow,
the role of transportation became more complex and had many forms, which are the following:

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• Facilitator of tourism growth – Transport has become the most important factor in terms of tourism
growth. The development of transportation stimulates tourism growth. The objective of
transportation development is to enhance the accessibility, mobility, and travel experience of tourists.
Tourism will not occur if there is no transportation.

• Linking destinations with tourism markets – Transportation provides links between destinations and
consumers of tourism products (tourism market). It provides the means for traveling tourism markets
to access the tourism product.

• Providing mobility and access within destinations – Tourists need to move within the destination for
various reasons. From arriving at the airport, going to his/her accommodation, visiting and
experiencing attractions, and engaging in tourism activities.

• Providing mobility within tourist attractions – Some tourist attractions may also require a certain
transportation mode to match the attraction’s setting. This is for tourists to be able to visit different
parts of the attraction. For example, wildlife attractions may require more eco-friendly transport for
tourists to go around and explore.

• Providing recreational travel options – Some destinations develop unique modes of transportation to
enhance the tourism experience. This is mostly seen in attractions that have proximity to each other.
The main purpose is still mobility, but unique features are means in enhancing the overall tourist
experience. (E.x. Bike tours, Double-decker bus tours)

• Acting as a primary attraction – There are cases that transportation is the actual attraction itself. This
makes the actual trip the most significant experience. A great example is cruise tourism.

• Linking host destinations – Aside from linking places of origin and transportation, transportation also
links different destinations. This is very common in packaged tours, where a tourist visits more than
one (1) destination. As transportation increases the mobility of a tourist, it enables them to visit
neighboring destinations as well.

• Determinant in destination success – The quality of transportation affects the overall tourist
experience. A good experience in transportation makes tourists comfortable and entices them to
return, while a bad experience leads to dissatisfaction. A destination with good and efficient
transportation services attracts visitors. Accessibility, quality, and diversity of transportation systems
contribute to the success of a destination in terms of attracting tourists, making a destination
successful.

• Major contributor to tourism’s socio-economic benefits – Transportation makes it possible for tourists
and the host community to interact. It helps form connections and understanding of the difference
between cultures and societal norms. It also provides employment and generates social and economic
benefits through livelihoods.

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TOURIST TRANSPORT CONTINUUM

Tourist Transport Concept
Tourist transport is distinguished in two (2) concepts:
• Transportation for tourism – In this concept, transport is a means to an end. Meaning, the purpose of
transportation in this concept is to move from one place to another. The level of tourist satisfaction
in this concept lies in the cost and speed of transportation. Transport, in this case, contains no intrinsic
value to tourists.
• Transportation as tourism – In this concept, transportation is the basis of the tourist experience. The
travel cost is not just for mobility, but also for the recreational activities they might experience with
transport mode. Transport, in this case, contains a high intrinsic value to tourists.
Figure 2 shows the illustration of how the two (2) concepts can be interconnected. It represents the distinction
of the value of tourism experience given by each concept. One end of the continuum features examples of
one concept and the tourism experience value it gives. On the other end is the other concept, its examples,
and the tourism experience value it gives.

• Scenic car • Walking and

trails cycling holidays
• Taxi • Intercity
• Coach tours • Heritage railways
• Urban bus Railroads
• Cruise • Specialty
• Metro • Airlines
• City walking activities:
trails Kayaking, Banana

Transport for tourism Transport as tourism

(Low intrinsic value as tourism (High intrinsic value as tourism
experience) experience)
Figure 2. Tourist Transport Continuum
Source: Transport and Tourism: Global Perspectives, 2016. p.25

Tourist Transport Linkages and Interconnections

A tourist experience is composed of a series of transitionary phases, from initial departure to destination
arrival through the return trip back to the origin. In between these phases are critical points that contribute
to the overall tourist experience (e.x. recreation activities, visiting attractions, dining at local restaurants, etc.).
The critical points are then connected by transportation, which also adds to the tourist experience's level and
quality.

References:
Dileep, M.R. (2019). Tourism, transport, and travel management. Routledge.
Page, S. (2016). Transport and tourism: Global perspectives. Pearson Education Limited.
Rodrigue, J.P. (2020). The geography of transport systems: Fifth Edition. Routledge

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