Tourism LESSON 7 MODES OF TRANSPORT STRUCTURE 7.0 Introduction 7.1 Objectives 7.2 Development of Means of Transport 7.3 Road Transport 7.4 Rail Transport 7.4.1 Advent of high speed trains 7.4.2 Indian Railways 7.5 Sea/Water Transport 7.5.1 Cruises 7.5.2 Inland Waterways 7.6 Air Travel 7.6.1 Six Freedoms of Air 7.6.2 Promotional Fares 7.7 Summary 7.8 Key words 7.9 Glossary 7.10 Self-assessment questions 7.11 Sources and Further readings 7.0 INTRODUCTION After discussing the concept of tourism, tourist product and its importance as an industry, we move on to related services and operations in this unit. These services form part of travel management e.g. modes of transport, accommodation and ticketing. Also there is need to understand different aspects of the travel agency business and tour operation. The unit also discusses the national and international trade organizations e.g. IATA, TAAI, WTO and ITDC, which promote the healthy growth of this business worldwide. Tourism cannot be separated from travel. Travel is as old as mankind on the earth. Man at the beginning of his existence roamed about the earth in search of food, shelter, security and a better habitat. In the ancient times, the mode of transport used by travellers was a horse, a horse carriage and a boat. The industrial revolution brought about significant changes in the modes of transport used by people. Introduction of railways, motorcars and thereafter aero planes revolutionized transport all over the world. The discovery and application of steam and electricity in the nineteenth century and the internal combustion engine in the twentieth century revolutionized travel and transport and introduced the present era of mass transport. The next spectacular breakthrough came in the late 1950 with the propulsion of aircrafts with jet engines bringing the immense benefits of air travel to the whole world. Travel became faster and more and more people could travel. 7.1 OBJECTIVES After reading this lesson, you should be able to: Understand the importance of modes of transport in the development of tourism. Explain the development of road transport in the Indian context. Value the role of Railways in tourism industry. Appreciate how water transport has coped with vast changes in recent years. Evaluate the role of air travel in tourism and its future in the context of ever growing competition. 7.2 DEVELOPMENT OF MEANS OF TRANSPORT Transport is the key factor for the development of tourism, which facilitates the movement of holidaymakers and business travellers. Transport provides the essential link between origin and destination areas. Tourists travelling abroad spend half their holiday money (about 40%) on travel and transport and the other half on accommodation and other activities. The most important function of transport relates to accessibility, which is one of the 3As of tourism components (refer to Unit 1). Accessibility is the function of distance from tourist market and of transport and communication, which enables a destination to be reached. Earlier travel was undertaken for trade, commerce and religion. Advancement in transportation technology brought about road improvement and development of other means of transport. The four major modes of transport prevalent in India are: - -Road Transport -Rail Transport -Water Transport -Air Transport 7.3 ROAD TRANSPORT Till the beginning of the twentieth century, people travelled almost exclusively by rail and steamship. With the invention of a new transport medium i.e. the motorcar, the entire shape of the tourism industry was transformed. It became the most promising and potent means suitable for short and medium distances. With the growth of a fine network of fast and super fast national and international highway systems, long journeys were also performed by motorcar and motor coach. After the Second World War, their use increased manifold. Road transport became increasingly important in the pursuit of leisure and tourism. Road Transport provides basic infrastructure in connecting people of remote villages to the mainstream of national life. Mobility can perhaps be one of the major advantages of road transport over rail and sea transport. The motorcar provides the actual mobility so that people are no longer anchored to a particular holiday center, as they tended to be when they mostly travelled by train or ship. Speed is yet another factor which helps tourists to economize on time. The gradual spread of a network of roads has made hitherto not very accessible areas, easy to get to. The development of road transport is bringing about a fundamental change in the development of tourism in the growth of Resorts, Hotels and other services. The automobile provides greater freedom of travel and choice of destination. The provision of a good, well-linked road network, roadside services and facilities is a pre-requisite for the development of both domestic and international tourism. In India, it has a vital role in the opening up of interior and remote areas and is relatively cheaper and less capital intensive. At the same time it supplements the efficiency of other modes of transport. Indian roads are classified into the following five categories: National Highway: - These are principal arterial routes connecting the union capital with the state capitals, major parts of various highways. State Highways: - State highways connect state capitals with district headquarters, important cities and towns within a state, the national highways and the highways of adjacent states. District Roads: - District roads take the traffic from the main roads to the interior of each district and to rural areas. Classified Village roads connect villages or groups of villages with each other and to the nearest district road and other main highways. Unclassified Village roads: - These are mostly earthen roads. Approximately 49% of traffic is handled by the private sector, and the rest is mainly through state transport undertakings. The inter-state bus system is well developed and the quality of buses varies. They fall into the category of ordinary, semi-deluxe, deluxe and air-conditioned coaches. All information is available at Bus-stands. Taxis, chauffeur- driven cars, car rental systems; matador type vans are other services in road transport. The growth of tourism requires growth of infrastructure in first place. A proper road network is one such area. It is worth mentioning that Rs. 54,000 crore National Highway Development Project is progressing rapidly. In the same breadth Golden Quadrilateral Road network is also progressing which will complete 5846 km. road network by 2007. 7.4 RAIL TRANSPORT The first regular steam engine passenger run was inaugurated over a one-mile section on the 7.5-mile track from Canterbury to Whitstable, Kent, England on May 3, 1830.The first self-propelled locomotive, which ran on rails, was built by Richard Trevithic [1771-1883] at Salop in England. The first organized rail transport began in the year 1841. A Baptist preacher of Derbyshire on his way to a temperance society meeting in Leicester was inspired with the idea of engaging a special train to carry the friends of temperance society from Leicester to Loughborough and back to attend a quarterly delegate meeting. Thomas Cook gave the idea. A few weeks later, 570 passengers made the journey by the Midland Counties Railways at a specially reduced fare. And in this way began a new area in Rail Passenger transport .The railway can be considered one of the most powerful motives for mass travel in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Railways are most suitable for long distance travel. It is a fascinating experience. It offers the tourist an insight into the large country and its people. It passes through towns, villages and green vegetation and takes one back into the glorious past. The recent and interesting development in the field of transportation is the advent of high-speed trains. 7.4.1 Advent of High-Speed Trains: The energy crisis of 1974 resulted in decrease in use of air travel and road travel. It became expensive to travel by air and motorcar or coach. The fuel consumption is two to four times more in automobiles and ten times more in air travel as compared to trains. Following factors were responsible for the growth of rail transport: - (i) Fuel consumption per passenger is less in trains. (ii) Railway stations are located in the heart of cities and train timings are convenient. (iii) There is growing congestion at airports and highways, as they are unable to handle growth in tourist arrivals. Railways are once again assuming important roles. European countries, the United States and Japan are revolutionizing the rail transport by introducing very high-speed trains. Europe was the first one to formulate a design for a faster and more comfortable train. London-Manchester line was electrified in year 1960 at the speed of 160 km per hour. In the United States of America, Amtrak (American Travel by Track) is offering modernized long distance services. In Asia, Japan produced super fast train ‘Hikari Express’ which was popularly known as ‘Bullet Train’ and ran at a speed of 210 km per hour. At Sanyo line, the speed further increased to 260 km per hour. It was in France that a world record of speed was broken in the year 1981. In September 1981, a new high-speed train TGV- Trains a Grande Vitesse, began its commercial operation between Paris and Lyon at a speed of 260 km. per hour. 7.4.2 Indian Railways In India, railways have made use of technological advancement that has resulted in increased speed, comfort and carrying capacity. A high-speed train such as Rajdhani Express is running between Delhi-Calcutta and Delhi- Bombay track at the speed of 120 km per hour. In India, a tourist has to use railway facilities wherever he goes as not all the places are linked by air. Railways have a great role to play in stimulating and creating traffic particularly on routes where they can offer speediest and cheapest form of transport. For long distances also, as air travel is an expensive mode of travel, railways will continue to remain popular. Indian Railways is the world’s second largest railways system with staff strength of 1.7 million persons, which is the largest single employer in the world. It all began with a small journey from Bombay to Thane on a 34 km track on 16th April 1853. Indian railways run its services on three gauges viz. Broad gauge (1.676m), meter gauge (1m) and narrow gauge (0.76). The railway ministry has now introduced a plan called ‘Unigauge’ to standardize all three lines to Broad gauge. This will increase the speed of passenger and freight traffic. About 20% of total track kilometer is electrified. In recent years production of steam locomotives have been discontinued and replaced by diesel and electric locomotives. Indian Railways have improved their travel facilities such as: - Round the clock cloak Room, computerized reservation, speed limits ranging from 100 km to 160 km per hour. The Shatabadi Express is a classic example of high108 speed train. For smooth management the Indian Railways are divided into nine zones with a General Manager in charge of each six-member Railway Board. Palace on Wheels: It is a train introduced in early eighties and consists of state carriages of the former Maharajas and special saloons used by Viceroys of India. It is very popular among foreign tourists. This is being diverted to Gujarat as Royal Orient Express and a new 14-coach train, a replica of the old one, has replaced it, which operates weekly every year from October to April. The ambience is of 18th century lifestyle of Rajasthani Maharajas. Rajasthan Tourism does the catering. The Indian Railway has decided to start eight more trains like Palace on Wheels in different parts of India. It leaves Delhi Cantonment and halts at some of the royal cities including Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra. Royal Orient Express: This train leaves from Delhi Cantonment halting at Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Ahmedabad and Jaipur. The tariff for Royal Orient Express is US $ 350 per person per night on single occupancy. Indrail Pass: The Indian Railways doesn’t pay commission to its agents at domestic level. It charges service-tax from its clients. Indian Railways pay 10% commission on Indrail Passes sold by travel agents against foreign exchange. To encourage its sales, Railways has appointed GSAs in some countries. Tourist can book tickets through GSAs 360 days in advance. Metro Railways: The Indian railways entered into the Metro age with the opening of the Calcutta Metro Railway in 1984-85. Metro Railways has also opened its section in Delhi. A giant network is in the pipeline, which is slowly becoming operational one after another. By the time the Commonwealth Games start in Delhi in 2010, the fastest metro will become operational. This is one example of world-class technological advancement, which India can boast of as a modern tourist product. Every day about 8520 trains carry more than 13 million passengers over 63,000 kilometers of railway track crisscrossing the country. As for its speed, the average speed of Shatabadi Express is 140 kilometer per hour. The Indian Railways has been divided into 16 Zones and 67 Divisions to ensure efficiency and productivity of rail services through manageable administrative units. To promote tourism at international level ‘Discover India’ and ‘Indrail Passes’ have been introduced. Customer care and user-friendly services are provided. A Customer Care Institute has also been set up. It has also launched ‘National Rail Vikas Yojna’ at a cost of Rs. 15,000 crores outside the railway budget as a hallmark of public-private partnership for strengthening the Golden Quadrilateral routes to provide connectivity to major parts of the country. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1 1. Mr. Lal and his wife have come from Bhopal to visit Delhi. They want to visit Lotus Temple and other important historical sites around Delhi. They belong to the middle class and are ready to make do with ordinary arrangements. Available modes of transport are local buses, luxury coaches of different types or taxis. Your job is to advise Mr. Lal about the most suitable mode of transport. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Who was the person behind the idea of organized tourism and how could he give shape to his idea? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. What factors are responsible for growth of rail transport? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. What are the main attractions of Indian Railways, which promote International tourism? Name them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.5 SEA/ WATER TRANSPORT Travel by ship was the only means to travel overseas till the middle of the 20th century. The earliest type of boat was the raft, made of grasses, logs and bundles of reeds or other light material tied together. The ocean shipping originated towards the Mediterranean Sea. Greeks and Romans navigated in the vessels with sails and established trade and maintained colonies. Ocean shipping flourished since the colonies depended on their motherland for supplies and export opportunities. First steamship for carrying mail and passenger was inaugurated in 1840 on the North Atlantic port. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 advanced the development of the steamship. The replacement of coal by oil made transport by sea cheaper. In America number of sailing ships was built which were better than those built in England. The decade following World War II was the most successful period for the shipping industry. A great number of people from Britain and later Germany along with other countries used sea transport as tourists. But when jetliners were introduced on these routes in 1958, the growth of shipping was reversed. The liners began to leave the service one by one after that. Finally, some liners diverted their business to cruise trade. The shipping industry has shifted its emphasis according to needs of the cruise holiday market, especially in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. Overseas shipping has an important role to play in India’s international trade. The country is 17th in ranking in world shipping tonnage. Shipping Corporation of India, a public sector undertaking is the biggest shipping line in the country. 7.5.1 CRUISES There are only few passenger ship liners left in the world which offer transport these days. The line voyages are not shifted to cruises. The advancement of travel by vessel is due to the element of relaxation and entertainment. This has resulted in picking up of the cruise holiday market. The largest numbers of cruise patrons live in the United States. Some of them are expanding their capacity for specific demands in certain areas. North America accounts for 81% of the cruise ships which have casinos and duty free shopping available on board. India and Indian Ocean have not yet fully exploited cruise business. Tourism through cruises has excellent future potential. At present, a luxury cruise ship on its round the world journey may touch an Indian port like Cochin, Madras or Bombay. Passengers take off to Delhi or Agra for sightseeing of India. By taking them to Goa, Andaman, Sri Lanka and so on, a new cruise market can be developed. 7.5.2 INLAND WATERWAYS Lakes, rivers and canals are important sources of fun filled water holidays. Cruises on the Ganges, Brahamaputra and Hoogly can be profitable tourist attractions. White Water River rafting has already started picking up in Haridwar. Cruises became popular to motivate passengers to enjoy the delights of life on sea. Cruises have everything to offer which a 5 star hotel can. Now a day they provide many opportunities to arrange various events and celebrations to promote it for tourism. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 2 1. Shipping industry is presently coping with the sluggish growth in passenger ship liner? Suggest certain measures to promote travel by sea. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.6 AIR TRAVEL Hindu and Greek mythologies suggest the presence of aero planes in ancient time. In Greek mythology, Icarus, equipped with wings made of bird feathers held together with wax failed in his attempt to escape imprisonment because he flew too close to the sun which melted his wax and he was drowned in the sea. Hindu mythology also mentions Garuda, who was the vehicle of Vishnu. The Ramayana refers to the Vimana, which brought back Rama to his capital Ayodhya from Lanka. The sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries were dangerous times for people dreaming of flying. It was considered an act against the law of God. Then there was an accidental discovery of the principle of the balloon. These crude experiments led to the modern day aviation technology. The credit of developing the modern aeroplane goes to the Wright Brothers of the United States who made their first flight in Kitty Hawk, in a power-driven aeroplane on December 17, 1903. Air travel has become a symbol of economy, speed and comfort as compared to other modes of transport. The passenger rides comfortably, enjoys good food, wine and music. The aeroplane had a revolutionary impact on tourism from World War II onwards. The modern era can be termed the mass air travel era. This has been the most important socio-economic phenomenon. For international travel, air travel is the second most popular mode of transport, which is next to automobiles. Air travel is attractive because of its speed and range and also as it offers status. In the international tourism, air travel has made a most valuable contribution. In the year 1952, the two-class travel was introduced which was made possible by the larger capacity of the new aircrafts. This made possible the lowering of airfares. This period was also remarkable for ‘package holiday’ around air transport, the model for most of today’s global tourism. The beginning of Jet air travel in 1958 added a new dimension to aviation industry in terms of speed, comfort and efficiency. Thereafter Pan America introduced the Boeing 707 between Paris and New York. The most significant development during this period was the development of the concept of ‘inclusive tours’ in which travellers were carried on charter flights at rates substantially lower than normal services. The introduction of Jumbo jets in the year 1970 introduced the phenomenon of mass market and business tourism. The Jumbo jets made air travel more convenient, comfortable and luxurious. Pan Am and Japan Airlines were among the first to offer to its passengers business class travel. The seats in this class were wider, giving more space to stretch and relax in comfort, making long distance less cumbersome. As the popularity of business class travel grew, another class, Executive Class was introduced in 1975. New wide-bodied jets like Boeing 747, the Mc Donnel Douglas DC 10, and Airbus A300 are all part of response to the requirements of the ever-growing transport market. 747 Boeing Jumbo jets offered 800 seats in 1990s, which is another unique event in aviation industry. The sky train concept is the latest innovation. International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulates international air travel with its head office in Montreal in Canada. It was established in 1945. IATA regulates the prices of air tickets in different areas of travel in the world. The IATA decides all international airfares. The respective governments decide domestic airfares. IATA provides machinery, which makes the worldwide system of air transportation possible. IATA has been closely associated with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an inter-government agency established also in 1945 that creates world standards for technical regulation and standardization of civil aviation. IATA divides the world into three areas commonly known as IATA Traffic Conference Areas. Traffic Conference Area 1- The whole of North and South America and islands adjacent thereto. Traffic Conference Area 2- Europe, Africa and islands adjacent thereto. Traffic Conference Area 3- Asia and islands adjacent thereto except that portion of Asia already included in area 2 and islands of Pacific Ocean except those included in Area 1. India is in this traffic area. 7.6.1 SIX FREEDOMS OF AIR The representatives from Great Britain and United States met in the Bermudas in 1946 to develop a compromise between their opposing positions. The agreement reached between them became a model for all bilateral agreements in later years. The “six freedoms of the air” formulated in Bermudas included: 1. The right to fly across another nation’s territory. 2. The right to land in another country for non-commercial purposes. 3. The right to disembark passengers and cargo that originated in the carrier’s home country, in a foreign country. 4. The right to pick up passengers and cargo destined for the carrier’s home country, from a foreign country. 5. The right to transport passengers and cargo from one foreign country to another foreign country. 6. The right of an airline to carry traffic from a foreign country to the home nation of that airline and beyond to another foreign country. 7.6.2 PROMOTIONAL FARES To attract more passengers airlines are offering cheaper promotional fares such as Excursion Fares and Group fares: Excursion Fares: These are provided to the tourists on the basis of round trip journey and have conditions of minimum and maximum stay, restricted to one airline, cancellation fees, weekend travel purchase and so on. Some excursions also give seven day to twenty-day advance purchase requirements. These fares are discounted by twenty to forty per cent below the normal economy fare. The passenger must spend at least 10 days in the country where he is going. Such restriction is applied to discourage the business executives from using cheap excursion fares. Group Fares: Group fares are applicable to groups and are discounted by 20 to 40 percent. There are three types of group fares: - (i) Group Inclusive Tour (GIT) Fare- Such fares are designed for group travel subject to certain conditions. GIT 4 fare requires at least four passengers to travel together. (ii) Incentive Tour Fare: A special fare designed for incentive groups where one organization pays for the entire trip. (iii) Affinity Group Fare: This fare is used when a corporation or an organization pays for its employees or members to travel to a meeting, a convention or a conference. The airlines have two basic types of services- scheduled and chartered services. While the scheduled services operate as per timetable, chartered services operate like taxi services. Chartered flights are able to offer cheaper fares because they carry fully loaded flights both ways. Aviation achievements are impressive and even more remarkable considering the brief time span involved. On the operational side, Indian Airlines (government owned) and some other private airlines like Spice jet, Jet airway, Kingfisher, Air Deccan and so on are providing domestic services. Air India provides international air services. Apart from this, there are air taxies, which provide non-scheduled air services. The future of Air travel is quite bright. Boeing Aircraft Company of USA predicts that travel by air by 2010 will increase about two times more than its present size. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 3 1. Who regulates International air travel? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. How is world air traffic divided into traffic conference areas? - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Name four Domestic Airlines of India? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7.8 SUMMARY Transport is the key factor in the development of tourism. From the age of hand-driven carriages to the modern age of aero planes, the travel industry has grown fast. The four major modes of transportation prevalent in India are Road, Rail, Water and Air. As automobile provides greater freedom for choice of destination, the provision of a good road network is a prerequisite for development of tourism. Various highway projects are being undertaken in this direction. Presently it is trying to improve travel facilities in trains. To promote tourism at international level ‘Discover India’ and ‘Indrail’ passes have been introduced Railways are most suitable for long distance travel. The advent of high-speed train has given a fillip to travel. In India, Palace on Wheels and Royal Orient Express are very popular among tourists. Sea transport all over the world has undergone vast changes. When the Jetliners were introduced, the growth of shipping industry reversed. Ship liners have changed their business to cruise holiday market. Tourism through cruise has excellent potential in India, which is not exploited yet. The most revolutionary advancement in the travel industry has been air transportation. It had a real impact on tourism after World War II. Jumbo jet has introduced Mass market and Business tourism. To facilitate air traffic movement world over, IATA has divided the world into three Traffic Conference Areas. Six Air Freedoms have been formulated for smooth travel among countries. As the competition is ever growing, there is an opportunity for budget tourists to travel around the world, which has become a Global village. 7.9 KEY WORDS Accessibility, Communication, Infrastructure, Mobility, Highways, District roads, Classified Village Roads, Unclassified Village Roads, Golden Quadrilateral Road Network, Locomotive, Thomas Cook, High-speed Trains, Amtrak, Bullet Trains, Palace on Wheels, Indrail Passes, Metro Rail, Ocean Shipping, Ship Liners, Cruises, Aviation, Jet Air Travel, IATA, Principle of Ballooning, Traffic Conference Areas, Freedom of Air, Excursion Fares, Group Fares. 7.10 GLOSSARY GSA: A General Sales Agent (GSA) who represents an airline or a hotel as its sole sales agent in a given area. Charter: Specially hired aircraft that takes a group of people on a package rate to a certain destination, and then flies them back is a charter. It works out cheaper because it is generally fully loaded both ways. Itinerary: It is designated to identify all portions of the travel from the original point to the final destination. It includes all the stopping points en route, along with transportation, accommodation and other services on a traveller’s trip. 7.11 SELF- ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 1 What is the one major advantage of road transport in comparison to rail? And water transport? What are the other factors responsible for the growth of road transport? 2. How has the advent of high-speed trains contributed to tourism industry? 3. What are the factors responsible for the growth of air travel in tourism? 4. Mention the Six Air Freedoms. 7.12 SOURCES AND FURTHER READINGS 1. Chand, M., 2000, Travel Agency Management: An Introductory Text, Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. 2. Ghosh, B., 1998, Tourism and Travel Management, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. 3. Raina, A.K. and R. C. Lodha, 2004, Fundamentals of Tourism System, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi. 4. Seth, P.N., 1997, Successful Tourism Management: Vol. II- Tourism Practices, Sterling Publishers, New Delhi. 5. Seth, R. and O. Gupta, 2005, Tourism in India- An overview, Kalpaz Publications, Delhi.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 10:53:35 +0000
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