Transportation and Travel Evolution

Transportation Sector Overview

• Transportation's rapid development and technological advancements enable tourists to reach destinations worldwide.
• These factors have made transportation integral to tourism and the hospitality industry.

Transportation and Travel Evolution

• Transportation and travel have evolved through distinct eras.
• Pre-Industrial Travel System Era:
  • Occurred before widespread industrialization in Europe and North America.
  • Featured few common carriers and almost no regularly scheduled transportation.
  • Travelers arranged transport with multiple suppliers.
  • Travel was limited to those with money and a reason.
• Early-Industrial Travel System Era:
  • Saw road improvements such as railways, canals and steamship services.
  • These improvements stemmed from innovation and transportation technology advancements.
  • Travel increased as more people could afford it.
  • Common carriers emerged, offering scheduled transport services.
• Mature-Railway System Era:
  • Thomas Cook initiated his company in the UK in 1840, marking this era.
  • Railways aggressively marketed services, leading to the formation of travel agencies and tour companies.
  • Railways expanded by operating hotels and other services.
• Express-Travel System Era:
  • Trains and other transport only stopped at major stations or terminals.
  • Increased travel speed encouraged more frequent travel.
• Automobile-Based Travel System Era:
  • Privately-owned automobiles gained traction from the 1920s onward in North America and Europe.
  • Motorways, interstate highways, and other highways developed between 1920-1974.
  • Automobiles were the main travel mode from 1920-1945.
• Modern-Tourism Travel System Era:
  • From 1945-1974, car ownership increased, reducing long-distance rail travel.
  • Mass air travel emerged post-WWII.
  • Wide-bodied jets in 1970 and mass tourism philosophies developed in the 1950s-1960s.
• Post-Mobility Adjustment Era:
  • Began in 1973-1974, due to the OPEC oil embargo and rising fuel prices.
  • The energy crisis altered global travel patterns.
  • Travelers sought alternative, group-oriented transport modes.

Selection of Transportation Mode

• Transportation enriches travel, depending on the mode and how often it is used.
• Modes like cruises, express trains, and river boat trips can become tourist attractions.

Various Transportation Modes

• Air Transportation:
  • Is a crucial mode in tourism that has reshaped perceptions of time and distance.
  • Airlines invest billions in technology to meet transport demand.
  • The air travel industry grew rapidly and is important for long-distance travel.
  • Air transport includes airplanes, helicopters, air balloons, and gliders.
• Automobile Transportation:
  • Private cars, vans, and buses are preferred for short distances as it allows for local culture viewing.
  • It offers flexibility, with lower prices compared to other modes.
• Railway Transportation:
  • This is one of the oldest modes of transportation
  • Railways are used more for transporting loads because tourists prefer air or automobile.
  • High-speed trains now compete with air and automobile options.
  • Examples include high-speed, regional, rapid transit, and freight trains.
• Sea Transportation:
  • It includes cruise, boat, yachting, and ferry travel.
  • Cruise ships act as "sailing hotels," providing travel opportunities.
  • Sea travel allows visiting multiple countries.
  • Other forms include maritime vessels, cargo carriers, and bulk carriers.

Understanding Recreation and Leisure

• Recreation:
  • Involves activities that relax or distract from normal routines, such as visiting parks, museums, historic sites, and theaters.
  • It includes leisure activities pursued during free time.
• Leisure:
  • Is the productive, creative, or contemplative use of free time.

Varied Views of Recreation and Leisure

• Some view recreation as public agencies that provide parks, playgrounds, pools, sports fields, and community centers.
• Recreation can be found in senior centers, sheltered workshops, or treatment centers.
• Environmentalists focus on the impact of outdoor recreation on natural surroundings.

Recreational Participation

• Recreation includes leisure activities, such as travel, tourism, cultural entertainment, arts, hobbies, and social clubs.
• It can be enjoyed in groups, alone, be physically straining, or mentally focused.
• It can be a lifelong interest or a one-time experience.

Types of Attractions

• Natural Attractions:
  • Serve as primary motivators for travel.
  • Include national parks, forests, botanical parks, and zoological parks.
• Purpose-Built Attractions:
  • Intentionally developed for tourism.
  • Include theme parks, zoos, and art galleries.
• Heritage Attractions:
  • Appeal to those seeking to learn about civilizations.
  • Examples include the Great Wall of China and the Rice Terraces.
• Recreational Attractions:
  • Provide indoor and outdoor facilities for sports and recreation.
  • Examples include bowling, camping, fishing, and golfing sites.
• Commercial Attractions:
  • Retail offering gifts, art, and souvenirs.
  • Include shopping centers and boutiques.
• Industrial Attractions:
  • Factory tours are growing with manufacturers developing facilities.
  • Examples include wineries and breweries.

Challenges in the Recreation and Leisure Field

• Professionals need to:
  • Serve diverse populations.
  • Emphasize social purposes through youth work and community development.
  • Promote public understanding of recreation, parks, and leisure services.
  • Improve programs and facilities, especially in inner cities.
  • Adopt benefits-based management, highlighting positive outcomes.
  • Promote recreation as health-related.
  • Partner with environmental groups for conservation.
  • Expand family programs.
  • Encourage values and ethics in youth sports.
  • Integrate persons with disabilities in programs.
  • Plan for recreation in a changing job market.
  • Increase professionalism via accreditation and education.
  • Unify recreation and leisure service fields across sectors.

Gaming Entertainment Defined

• The gaming industry includes casinos, card games, charitable games, lottery games, and betting activities.
• Gaming entertainment:
  • It is a casino-based business that includes hotels, entertainment, retail, recreation, and betting.
  • The casino industry combines games of risk with broader entertainment and leisure.
  • It caters to "social gamblers" who participate in other activities alongside gambling.

Games and Facilities Found Inside Casinos

• Table Games:
  • Involve wagering against the casino.
  • Include dice/craps, roulette, Big 6 wheel, pai-gow, and other table games.
• Card Games:
  • The casino does not wager against the player.
  • Players gamble against each other while the casino provides the game.
  • Examples are blackjack, baccarat, and poker.
• Slot Machine/Video Games:
  • Feature spinning reels activated by a handle or button.
  • Payouts are based on computerized random number generators.
  • Video games include video poker, keno, bingo, or lottery games.
• Keno and Bingo:
  • Both are based on random numbers.
• Race and Sports Books:
  • Racebooks for horse track betting.
  • Sportsbooks feature wagering on sporting events.
• Casino Cage:
  • Handles the financial transactions on the casino floor.
• Surveillance:
  • A high-tech camera system monitors gaming activities.
  • Also known as the "eye in the sky".
• Ancillary Departments:
  • Support the casino, including restaurants, bars, entertainment, and lodging.

Motivations for Visiting Casinos

• The Lure of Gambling:
  • Many people enjoy games of chance or skill.
• Recreation and Entertainment:
  • Casinos offer an environment for entertainment and mental escape from stress.
• Social Interaction:
  • Casinos provide opportunities for social interaction.
• Economic Factors:
  • Low room rates attract gamblers.
• Curiosity
  • Megaresorts with must-see facilities attract visitors.
• Amenity Offerings:
  • Hotels/casinos attract people with spas, salons, and amusement centers.