The Impact Of Air Transport On Tourism Tourism Essay
Air transport is an integral part of the tourism industry. The tourism industry in many countries of the world has been profoundly shaped by the development of air services. The advances in aircraft technology, improvements in communications and information technology, and marketing strategies have improved the quality of air travel and reduced the price of air tickets so that the volume of traffic, particularly on longer routes, has doubled in each of the past three decades (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 1997). The relationship between air transport and tourism is a highly complex subject involving an intriguing mixture of tourism accessibility, economic factors, and demand of low cost carriers.
2. Air Transport and Tourism
Air transport is part of a broader travel and tourism sector, which is widely recognized as the world’s largest industry. The airline share of the market increases on longer routes as it is a lot more time-saving. The importance of air transport for tourism is justified in Table 1 (Refer to Appendix), which lists twenty-six countries in which 70 per cent or more of international tourist arrivals came by air in 1994. In fifteen of those countries virtually all visitors arrived by air (World Tourism Organisation, 1996).
The cost of air transport has a direct influence on the cost of tourism products and indeed on the consumer’s choice of destination. The steady reduction in the cost of air travel is making this a more competitive form of transport for tourists. This reduction of costs and hereby airfares is partly derived from improved technology, aircraft have become larger, faster and are able to carry more passengers. It is partly linked to the fact that airlines upgraded their fleets and made second-hand aircraft available at low cost and in good condition to other airlines (Pender, 2001).
3. Tourism Accessibility
Tourism accessibility has evolved and became very much commercialized and developed. The accessibility of a destination is an indicator for tourist arrivals, which increases tourist receipts to the country. The advancement in air transport has improved drastically as compared to the mode of transportation in the early days. Air transport has made traveling more affordable and convenient for destinations. Accessibility is one of the many factors that influence the development of tourism in a region. Physical and market access to the destination are important and contributes the attractiveness of a region.
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