3. Transport for tourism

Transport for tourism can be divided into three main categories: journeys by air, journeys on water, and journeys on land. Within each category there are several types of transport.

Air travel usually means a short-haul or long-haul international flight, operating from large airports, which in big cities often have more than one terminal building. But in some more remote places there may be little more than a small airstrip with only one simple runway for planes to land and take off. At some tourist destinations air transport may include short transfers or sightseeing trips by helicopters.

Journeys on water can include luxury cruise ships, which take tourists on all-inclusive holidays of three days or more, visiting a number of different locations. Passengers sleep in cabins, and have a full range of services on board. They are looked after by a team of stewards, with a purser in overall charge of tourist services. Ferry crossings are usually much shorter journeys connecting two points of land or going between islands. The ferries will stop at a large port or a small harbour.

Land travel is probably the most diverse category. It includes rail journeys by train, departing from a large station and stopping terminus en route. Passengers sit in separate carriages or coaches. The most common form of transport by road for tourists, if they don’t have their own car, are also called coaches. These vehicles can either travel from city to city along fast motorways (or sometimes quieter roads), or they can be used for transfers from airports and other smaller journeys. Very often they are used for sightseeing trips when as well as a driver there will be a tour guide to tell passengers about the sights.

4. Eating out

Food is an integral part of any tourism experience. It is true that holidaymakers at popular package holiday resorts sometimes look for the sort of food they would eat at home. However, most tourists expect to try dishes that are different, and usually they have high expectations as to the standard of food they are served.

One result of this situation is the use of food as a tourism resource. This is not new. In the past, food-lovers traveled specifically to different regions or countries in order to try the local food. Now many places include their local dishes, wines, or other drinks as part of their tourism identity. Food festivals are another way to use this resource to attract visitors. Gastro-tourism is based principally on marketing the food and drink of a region.

Some holidaymakers arrive with pre-conceived ideas about the food of the country they are visiting because of the fame national dishes acquire. The rice dish paella is often considered to be the national dish of Spain. A national dish can be a drink. Ireland, for example, is often identified with Guinness, a type of beer. However, national dishes quite often hide the richness of a county’s gastronomic heritage, with each region within a country having its own dishes. These will be reflection of the local climate, ingredients, customs, and even history.