AVIATION TRAVEL GEOGRAPHY

Aviation Travel Geography

Aviation Travel Geography

Introduction

History has witnessed enormous growth in International Tourism, which can be proved from increased number of tourists from 25 million in 1950 to 990 million in 2011. The credit for this increment goes to advancement in transportation, globalization, modernized industrialization and developmental activities taken place in emerging markets. The better coordination and relationship amongst airlines, tourists, and destination tourism are significant enough to assess the importance of transport industry in further growth of tourism.

The relationship of aviation and the tourism industry

The tourism industry is comprised of variety of sub businesses that are involved in offering services related to tourism. World tourism defines tourism as people traveling and staying at places other than usual or routine surroundings for a time period of less than a year for the sake of vacation, commerce or any other reason. As per statistics, the income earned from tourism in UK in 2003 is estimated to be £91.8 billion. Tourism is comprehended as a system or process that results in increasing foreign exchange, employment opportunities, and various other businesses (UNIT 1: THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY, n.d., pp. 1-35).

Transportation is a vital element of tourism because people or visitors cannot travel without means of transportation. One of the main contributors in the success and growth of tourism is transportation. Tourism industry has significantly worked upon building new and improved highways, better transportation structure and system, railway tracks, subways, airports, along with supportive gas or petrol stations, restaurants, cafes, motels, that collectively contribute in the success and expansion of tourism industry. In addition, these factors play a vital role in the decisions made by visitors regarding electing a desired holiday or tourist point. It is the transport that creates a link between destination point and tourists (Culpan, R. 1987, pp. 541-552).

Tourism has resulted in proven improvement and development to many local economies like that of Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, Cypress, Greece, Malta etc., which were once developing economies and were striving, but tourism and increase of businesses along with increased employment and exports has forced these countries to renew and refresh the mode of transportation in order to magnify the profits from tourism, which includes soil erosion, cleaning, vegetation, horticulture, developing roads, railways, creating off way vehicles like trail bikes, horses, snow mobiles, and ways for pedestrians. Improved means of transportation increases economic development in form of boosting businesses, profits, jobs, foreign exchange, tourists, that collectively results in growth of economy and leads to an increase in Gross Domestic Product as production also increases (Sorupia, E., 2005, pp. 1767-1777).

Significance of Accessibility

The term accessibility is referred to as the extent to which a service or a product is reachable or useable or available to majority or maximum number of people. The definition of accessibility with respect to destination or tourism indicates the convenience to reach a destination point or desired location. Transportation system is utilized to assist tourist to reach to various destination points where as the accessibility factor helps in comprehending ...