Unit 1: Role of Transport

Role of the Transport Providers

 Transport has developed hand in hand with tourism.
Improvements in transportation facilities have
stimulated tourism and, in turn, tourism demand has
prompted transport developments such as the growth
of charter air services to serve the international
tourism market. Transport developments have made
tourist destinations accessible to their markets in
tourist generating areas. All tourism depends on
access, and the lack of accessibility can make or
break a destination.
 Methods of transportation used by international
travellers vary according to the needs of the individual.
The needs of a leisure tourist will be quite different to
those who are travelling for business purposes.
 However, it is fair to say that an individual tourist will
take into account factors such as price, convenience,
choice of departure points and timing of services when
making their travel arrangements.
Role of the Transport Providers

 Air transport providers include the major national

carriers (such as Air India, Cyprus Airways, British
Airways, Emirates etc.) as well as the low-cost,
budget or ‘no frills’ airlines (such as EasyJet and
Ryanair). These carriers operate scheduled flights
that run to a published timetable and operate
irrespective of whether there are enough
passengers to make a profit or not. However,
because of their regular flights, variety of routes
and service standards, they attract both business
and leisure passengers.
 Not all tourists flying to their destination travel on a
scheduled flight. Charter flights are mainly used by
the package holiday industry and tour operators
who make a contract with an airline for a specific
route for the peak holiday season. Furthermore,
charter airlines frequently operate on routes, or to
airports, where there is no scheduled service.
Role of the Transport Providers
 Much of the traffic through small and medium
sized airports in the United Kingdom consists of
charter flights, and the survival of these airports
often depends on the airline landing fees they
get from the charter companies.
 Although charter airlines typically carry
passengers who have booked individually or as
small groups to beach resorts, historic towns,
or cities where a cruise ship is awaiting them;
sometimes an aircraft will be chartered by a
single group such as members of a company, a
sports team, or for travelling to a major event.
 Many airlines operating regular scheduled
services (i.e., for which tickets are sold directly
to passengers) have set up charter divisions,
though these have not proved to be competitive
with the specialist charter operators.
Role of the Transport Providers

 Water transport providers

include ferry operators and
cruise companies. However, in
terms of being a transport
principal, it is the ferry
companies that will be
considered in this instance.
 The services provided by the
ferry companies help to link
groups of islands such as those
found in Greece or to connect an
island destination to an adjacent
larger land mass, such as the
UK and mainland Europe across
the English Channel.
Role of the Transport Providers
 Rail transport is important for travelling both within and
between different countries. Services are scheduled
and travellers perceive trains to be safe, cheap and
more convenient for many journeys. A train journey
involves no long check-ins, no extra charges for
baggage, an ever-changing view and no tedious
transfers as the trains go straight into city centres. For
these reasons, the Eurostar service carries more
passengers between London and Paris than all of the
airlines put together.
 Rail travel is also popular with independent travellers
because trains on major inter-city routes have many
facilities ranging from restaurant cars to sleeping
compartments and even laptop plug-in sockets. There
are some very famous forms of rail transport, the Trans-
Siberian Railway, the Orient Express and the South
African Blue Train are all well known for their sight-
seeing appeal and are attractions in their own right.
Role of the Transport Providers
 Coach transport operations can be categorised as
follows:
• express coach services, domestic and international;
• private hire services;
• tour and excursion operations;
• transfer services.
 Greyhound in the United States is one of the most
famous inter-city express coach operators but it has to
compete with budget airlines and American Track
(AMTRAK) rail services run by National Railroad
Passengers Corporation for its customers. Within
Europe, the brand name Eurolines is made up of 32
independent coach companies operating together to
run Europe’s largest regular coach network.
 This network connects over 500 destinations, covering
the whole of the continent, including Morocco.
Eurolines services allow passengers to travel from
Sicily to Helsinki and from Casablanca to Moscow.
Role of the Transport Providers

 Car transport can be hired independently

through international chains such as Hertz and
Avis or by making a reservation through travel
agencies. Car hire is popular with independent
travellers because vehicles can be collected at
an airport and returned to another office
elsewhere if needed.
 Fly-drive holidays are very popular, particularly
when visiting destinations such as Australia,
New Zealand and USA. Campervans are
becoming increasingly popular both in New
Zealand and in the United States where more
than 25m Americans make use of them each
year. While not cheap to hire, they have the
advantage of flexibility and independence
providing both transportation and
accommodation.