Surface transport

CHAPTER 5

156 CHAPTER FIVE Transporting the tourist I: Surface transport

transport. What this example also shows is that transport is a vital facilitator of tourism: it enables the tourist to travel from their home area (origin) to their destination and to return. This tourist trip has a reciprocal or two-way element: the tourist travels out on a mode of transport and then returns at a set period of time later. These simple principles of tourist travel were introduced in Chapter 4 and are reiterated here so that they can be used as a basis to differentiate different forms of tourist travel.

In the example shown in Figure 5.2 , the tourist travels on a number of different forms of transport from the origin to destin- ation area. Conventionally, each element of travel has been viewed as a passive element, as a means to an end (reaching the destin- ation area). However, this is now very outdated. In the case of package holidays, service interruptions (especially flight delays) can severely impact upon the tourist’s enjoyment of their holiday and so, like accommodation, transport should actually be seen as an integral element upon which the tourist experience is built.

For example, when I worked for a coach operator, the major com- plaints clients made were about how their holiday had been ruined or affected when they were left behind at a pick-up point, there was

Working classes (day trips)

Working- class holidays

Middle classes Upper

classes

1840s 1870s 1900s

Number of visits to seaside by rail Relative price of rail travel

Hypothetical example of the impact of railway

technology on the growth of coastal tourism in Victorian and Edwardian England

FIGURE 5.1

a service breakdown or delays occurred that caused inconvenience, stress and tarnished their holiday experience. It was not just the holiday but also the transport that impacted upon the customer ’s satisfaction. In fact travellers often have unrealistic expectations of transport providers, especially budget travellers who expect the standards of provision and customer care offered by full-price well- known airline brands when delays or operational problems occur.

This is emphasized in the following extract:

Tourist Origin area

Airport

In transit

Resort area

Hotel

Destination area

Activities/trips Direction of travel

Tourist travel from origin to destination area and return FIGURE 5.2

the purchaser of the tourism product ( the tourist ) must experience the trip to access the product, the quality of the transportation experience becomes an important aspect of the tourist experience and, therefore a key criterion that enters into destination choice. Poor service, scheduling problems, and/or long delays associated with a transportation service, for example, can seriously affect a traveller’s perceptions and levels of enjoyment with respect to a trip. Tourists require safe, comfortable, affordable, and efficient intermodal transportation networks that enable precious vacation periods to be enjoyed to their maximum potential. ( Lamb and Davidson 1996 : 264 –5)

158 CHAPTER FIVE Transporting the tourist I: Surface transport

It also illustrates the interrelationships between transport and tourism where four main elements exist:

1 the tourist

2 the relationship between transport and the tourist experience 3 the effect of transport problems on the tourist’s perception 4 the tourist’s requirement for safe, reliable and efficient modes

of transport.

T

RANSPORT

, T

OURISM AND THE

T

OUR

The mode of transport by which tourists seek to travel may be the main motivation for a holiday or the containing context of a holiday, and this is the case with a cruise or coach tour. In these examples, the basic element of tourism, the tour (which takes in a number of destinations on an itinerary, as discussed in Chapter 2 with regard to the Grand Tour), is followed. The basic principle of a tour is shown in Figure 5.3 : the tourist travels to the point of departure, then boards the mode of transport (a coach or cruise ship) and engages in the tour, which follows a set route over a period of time. At each point of call (Areas A to D), the mode of

Tourist home area

Point of departure

Area A

Area E

Area D

Area C

Area F Area B

A tour with an itinerary, visiting different areas FIGURE 5.3

transport may require an overnight stay on the mode of transport (the cruise ship) or in serviced accommodation, and time is made available for visiting attractions and for sightseeing. The coach or cruise then travels to the next area. Eventually the tour returns back to the point of departure and the tour is completed. In recent years, cruise companies have introduced the concept of fly-cruises to offer more compact, time-efficient cruises. Passengers fly to a point of departure when they undertake a cruise or part of a cruise before returning by ship or aircraft. At a less organized level, the principles of touring are inherent in the activities of holidaymakers who undertake domestic driving holidays or tours in their destin- ation area. Therefore, transporting the tourist, the tour and travel in general are fundamental elements of the dynamic phenomenon known as tourism.

The movement of people, often in large volumes, requires spe- cific managerial skills and an understanding of logistics – particu- larly of how the transport system and its different elements are managed. For the transport sector, managing the supply of trans- port so it meets demand and operates in an efficient, timely and convenient manner is an underlying feature for transporting tour- ists. For this reason, this chapter and Chapter 6 examine the trans- port sector and the principal modes of transport by land, water and air. In each case the management issues involving tourists will be highlighted and key concepts associated with each mode of trans- port. However, prior to discussing land-based transport it is useful to examine a number of concepts that are used in understanding how tourist transport is shaped by government.