TRANSPORTATION

1. The Role of Transportation

2. Air Transport

3. Travel by train

4. Water Transport

5. Road Transport

 

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. Identify the reasons for the changes in passenger use of the various transportation modes throughout the centuries.
2. What motivates tourists’ choice of transportation mode?
3. What has become the principal mode of transportation for long distance travel? When did this kind of travel begin to develop?
4. Point out the differences between various categories of airline operation.
5. How do railway companies try to make up for business lost to other forms of transport?
6. What popular train services have become popular recently?
7. What important part do ships still play in tourism? What is involved on this kind of tourist activity?
8. Identify the categories of waterborne transport and the role they play in the tourism industry.
9. Discuss the importance of the private car and the role of car hire in tourism.
10. Why are coaches so popular for short distance travel and round trips?
11. What are the differences between coach class and the no frills economy /tourist class on an aeroplane?

1.  The Role of Transportation

Transport is important to tourism in three different ways:

• transport provides the means of travel to the destination (e.g. a flight from Budapest to London’s Heathrow)
• transport provides the means of travelling around a destination (e.g. a trip on a London bus)
• transport can be a main feature of a tourist trip when the form of transport itself is one of the main reasons for taking the trip (e.g. a cruise holiday)

2.  Air Transport

There are three main types of flight:

• scheduled
• budget / low-cost / no-frills
• charter

Airlines such as British Airways or Virgin Atlantic (flag carriers) all operate to a timetable and must fly regardless of how many passengers are booked on a flight. Seats are sold to the public, usually via the airlines’ websites, or direct by telephone, or through a travel agent. The airlines offer classes for levels of service and include food and drink in the fare.

Most major established airlines face competition from budget airlines on short-haul flights, however, big airlines still insist that full-fare and business class passengers will subsidize the industry.

Budget airlines (Wizzair, Germanwings, EasyJet) also operate to a timetable. They are profitable because they only fly short-haul, point-to-point flights, rather than the so called hub-and-spoke model of traditional airlines. Many budget airlines only fly one type of plane, which simplifies training, inspections and maintenance operations. There are short turn-around times for their planes, the planes spend little more than 20 minutes at the gate. They generally only sell seats to the public via their websites and the elimination of travel agent fees and commissions have enabled them to offer rock-bottom fares. Some budget airlines fly to airports that are further from the city centre because here they do not pay so much for using the airport. The passengers have to pay extra for food and drinks on board.

Budget airlines do not allocate specific seats when passengers check-in for their flight, so they have to find a seat as if they were travelling by bus or train.

Charter airlines charter their aircraft to a person or organisation paying for the exclusive use of that aircraft. This might be a one-off arrangement (e.g. MKB Veszprém fans travelling to Montpellier for a handball match), a series charter (several journeys between the same points) or a time charter (an aircraft which is chartered for a given period of time).

Seats on such flights are not directly available for sale to the general public. Charter flights are normally for tour operators who sell the seats to the public as part of their package holiday programmes.

For an airline to break even and then make a profit, there are two golden rules: turn-around time on the ground must be as short as possible and at least 50-60 per cent of the seats must be occupied. There are several ways of maintaining maximum efficiency. Shuttle planes can be put into service on heavily-travelled routes, cheap fares can be offered at off-peak times, and planes can be overbooked as there is always a percentage of no-shows as well as cancellations.

Flights can be short-haul (1,500 miles), medium-haul (1,500-3,000 miles) or long-haul.

Types of air tickets:

• point-to-point fare: from departure to destination
• circle fare: Budapest – New York (air), New York – Boston (air), Boston – Budapest (air)
• open jaw (part of the itinerary is not included in the air ticket): Budapest – New York (air), New York – Boston (train), Boston – Budapest (air)
• through fare: Budapest – Frankfurt – Amsterdam – New York by the same airline
• round trip fare: return fare
• standby: it allows a traveller to wait at the gate for a seat to become available

3.  Travel by train

Railways played a major role in carrying passengers throughout the first half of the 20^th century, but as ownership of private cars grew, tourist traffic on the railways fell. However, they have now been making a comeback and offering attractive and competitive services.

There are fast InterCity trains boasting excellent catering facilities and sleepers for longer distances. In Europe, there are a number of rail networks that are serious competitors to short-haul flights, e.g. the TGV in France, the Catalan Talgo between Geneva and Barcelona or the Eurostar between the UK and France completed in 1994 and operated by Eurotunnel plc. Eurostar is a train service that connects London with destinations such as Paris, Disneyland Paris, Lille and Brussels and the French Alps in winter. The Eurotunnel service has been a serious competitor to the car ferry operators.

4.  Water Transport

Cruising is enjoying a popularity boom: it offers the advantage of total relaxation and an all-inclusive price. Cruise ships have become all-round entertainment centres that are drawing a new generation of passengers. There are themed cruises, e.g. wine-tasting, culinary festivals, classical music cruise, etc. In Europe river-cruising on the Rhine or the Danube is especially popular with the elderly.

There are about 70 ferry services in operation in Europe and between Europe and North Africa. Consequently, the increasing number of tourists wishing to take their cars or caravans abroad have a wide choice.

Other forms of water-borne transport include yachts, canal barges, hydrofoils, hovercrafts, jetfoils, etc.

5.  Road Transport

Coach companies provide a cheap alternative to flying and an opportunity to see more of a country from ground level. The increase in private car ownership has done more to change travel habits than any other factor in tourism. The hotel and catering industry responded by creating motels, roadside cafés and restaurants. Car ferry services have flourished, and camping and caravanning holidays have boomed.