The transportation industry is a vital component of the present economy that makes global communication better. It is also a necessary part that fuels the growth of the tourism industry and its infrastructure. People realize the importance of transportation because everyone can now move from one place to another quickly. It is the availability of several transportation modes that makes transit so effortless.
If you look back to the beginning of the previous Century, the primary modes of transport were either ships or animals. The evolution of the transport industry started mainly in the 19th Century when people started realizing the importance of transportation.
Everyone started understanding that development in transportation facilities will also lift a country’s economy. Moreover, the urge to expand commercial, political relations, development of transportation was vital. It was then that the introduction of electricity and steam in combustion engines took place.
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History of transportation
To understand the importance of transportation in various sectors of society, you must know the history of evolution. The beginning of advanced modes of transportation mainly started in the 1950s. It was then that jet engines were installed in aircraft for fast functioning. Besides, people found a new way in which traveling around the world was possible, within just a few hours.
We all know that tourism includes people traveling from one part of the world to others. So, suitable modes of transportation become a must in that case. It was, therefore, during the boom period of the tourism industry that the entrepreneurs started realizing the importance of transportation in our life. They also started understanding that if the tourism industry had to flourish, every attraction should be accessible by proper and safe transportation modes.
Several surveys that have been carried on for years proves the importance of transportation in the best manner. As per the reports, the majority of tourists spend about 35%-40% of their allocated budget on transportation.
The rest of their budget is divided amongst everything else, such as food, activities, and accommodation. Therefore, gradually transportation started playing a pivotal role in the economic scenario of every country in the world.
As a tourist, you can choose any mode of transport depending on the distance and convenience. Therefore, both the tourist and a tourism professional must know about the various transport modes that will help you reach your destination. So, let’s check out the primary modes of transport and little details about them.
The three significant modes of transportation are:
- Air transport
- Water transport
- Land transport
Importance of transportation in the tourism industry
Now you are in the most critical part of this article in which we will point out the importance of transportation. Here, you will learn how every mode of transport holds its position in the tourism industry. It will later help you to decide what you would like to prefer for your conveyance.
Air transport
Let’s start the list with air transport that makes traveling to long-distance places affordable and effortless. The world seems small when we choose air transport for our transit. For example, in this case, we usually measure the distance between two places in hours instead of kilometers or miles. Now, that is the level of convenience air transport has given tourists. Traveling from one continent to another has become almost a cakewalk now.
As mentioned earlier, to learn more about the importance of transportation, we must dig a little deeper into the history of the same. Similarly, if you want to know about the evolution of air transport, then a must mention will be the war periods.
Yes, the major part of development in modes of air transport happened during the First and the Second World War. It was during that time that the introduction of commercial airlines took place. The initiative was taken keeping in mind travelers and the tourism industry at large.
During and after World War I, air transport had already become quite popular, and the importance of transportation in tourism was evident. The best part is that air traffic started increasing along with the commercial sector.
According to journals, Swissair was amongst one of the earliest commercial airlines company. It had already started carrying around 15-20 passengers between London and Zurich. Moreover, such rapid improvement was finely visible even before World War II broke out.
Evolution of air transport:
The governments of all major countries already realized the importance of transportation in economy. As a result, initiatives were taken one after the other to lift world tourism. Besides, the connection between countries was vital during the times of War. The state authorities started organizing conferences and meetings all around the world.
They were trying to make allies with like-minded countries to build a majority against their opponents to survive World War II. Air transport became the most popular mode of commute, mainly because it saved people a lot of time while traveling.
The first commercial airline service was introduced by a Dutch Airline company, KLM, in the year 1920. The commute started by covering a considerable distance between London and Amsterdam. While all was running smoothly, commercial services experienced significant growth only after the end of World War II.
The significant developments later include better facilities and more comfort during the commute. Then in 1952, jet flights were brought to service by Great Britain. After six years, the Americans came up with the fantastic 707 Boeing services. The first commute was achieved between New York and Paris.
Starting from the next year, 1959, the importance of transportation became even more evident. Air traffic began to increase more than ever, and the introduction of chartered flights also took place. Later, revolution hit us with the birth of jumbo jets. Over the years, we have seen hundreds of newer facilities and implementations. Now, there is a division for general and business tourists in any air transport. For the latter, there are proper internet and communication facilities too.
What are the major types of airlines?
The major types of airlines at present are-
- Chartered
- Scheduled
The scheduled airlines are the ones that function typically according to a schedule. On the other hand, chartered flights are the ones that only operate during high demand. Suppose you are planning to travel to another country during the peak touring season. There are high chances that you will be able to avail of a chartered flight. Also, the tariff of chartered flights is comparatively lower than that of the schedules ones.
It is because the chartered flights are not available all the time, and they only commute until specific locations. For example, Spain and Portugal are two such countries that have chartered plane services during the peak season for tourists. In other countries such as India, you can avail chartered planes to places such as Goa.
There are sub-categories to segregate airlines too. The two significant sub-categories are a large carrier and a small carrier. For the small carriers, they can only accommodate about 30-35 passengers. However, large carrier airlines can accommodate about 800 passengers. After the latest advancements in the aviation sector, we can find newer moderations and facilities along with the previous ones.
The number of airline brands is growing every year, and this is also the reason for so much competition. As a result, airfares have come down, and air traffic has gone up on the contrary. Besides, to attract more customers, various airline brands are introducing promotional offers now and then. You must know that there is the significant importance of transportation in logistics too, and airplanes are significant modes for the same.
Land transport
If you look back into the primitive era, people had to travel from one place to the other, mainly in search of food. During those times, animals were the most important modes of road transport. People used to pet-specific animals such as dogs, elephants, ox, reindeer, camels, and horses as companions who would also share their load. It was later after the significant discovery of wheels that the invention of carts, carriages, and chariots happened.
Even until the end of the 17th Century, the most popular mode of transportation was horses. Later, the condition of roads was made better, and vehicles were used for commuting from one place to the other. Hence, the importance of transport in commerce, because it was during this time that trade routes were created. Two significant examples of such roads are The Blue Gem that links Iran with India and Afghanistan. On the other hand, The Silk Route of China was developed for the export of silk to Persia and Iran.
The modern-day scenario
Nowadays, there are a variety of tourist cars, buses, and coaches mainly to upgrade the tourism industry. Tourists choose modes of transports according to their budget, distance that they want to cover, and their complete itinerary. Besides, privacy and comfort are two other aspects that a tourist will often look for in a vehicle during a holiday trip.
Often, families come together for trips, and these are times when they want to hire big buses for sight-seeing. In this scenario, you will surely prefer transport that will not just give you comfort, but also a good view of the area. All this has now given rise to rental transport facilities.
In advanced countries, car rental services are widespread, and tourists like it more than any other modes of transport. Moreover, there is an option in which you can hire aa vehicle and drive it all by yourself. So, there is independence and comfort both.
Railways inland transport
Railways are arguably the most popular, convenient, and economical mode of transportation to travel long distances. All over the world, people use railways for fast commute at cheap rates. The first railroad was constructed in Germany, and the tracks were then made out of wood.
Later, in the first part of the 19th Century, proper railroads with steel tracks were established in America. Moreover, railways are the symbol of the transport revolution of the Modern Era.
Besides, it is also the most-used mode of transport consistently from the 19th Century.
The European railroad structure is one of the best models in the world. Over there, routes of six countries have been brought together to create a single course. As a result, the movement has become very easy, even from one country to the other.
Water transport
Water transport has been in use for thousands of years. People have not only used it for the personal commute but also to carry goods. The concept of ships came from small boats that were in existence even in the 6000 BC. Later, rafts were modified, and other features were added to develop those small boats into modern-day ships.
Until the mid-19th Century, till the time rail routes were established, air transport was nowhere an option. So, there was a monopoly of water transport, and the first to make a mark in this sector was the Cunard Ship Company. It was established in 1838, and they had regular schedules of steamships that would operate in the North Atlantic Ocean. They functioned regularly till the beginning of World War I when they had to halt services. They made a good comeback after the end of the War with better ships. These were also in service until World War II broke out.
Several shipping companies function regularly at present. These are nothing less than attractions for the tourists. Besides, cruise safaris are a part of exotic vacations in every part of the world. You must book popular cruises well in advance because the demand is always pretty high. For example, if you plan to go cruising in the Caribbean, Hawaii, or the Mediterranean, then you must start the booking soon.
Final words
The importance of transportation in the tourism industry is thus irreplaceable. It is, moreover, one of the most pivotal components of this industry. It is not just a mode of commute, but also a great way of sight-seeing. Tourists always like better modes of transport because that saves them transit time.
