The importance of air transport in tourism development
Air transport is a major method of international recreational travel and has a significant impact on the development of the tourist destination. Air transport and tourism are interdependent and along with airlines are often involved in the planning and development of tourist destinations, the creation of international airlines, by affecting the cost of fares and the total duration of travel, affects tourism destinations.
Aviation is an important component of the global economy and plays an important role in the development of tourism activities and has made significant progress in terms of reducing the time and speed. The link between tourism and air transport is strong, and the demand for air travel and tourism follows parallel paths. Forty-three percent of international and global tourist arrivals are now made by air, and air travel alone has made it possible to develop modern long-distance tourism. The share of the air fleet in tourism employment and GDP is very significant.
It is estimated that worldwide, 6.19 million jobs are directly supported by the tourism industry through air freight and the costs paid by visitors to the destination country. This includes jobs such as hotels, restaurants, attractions, local transportation and car rental on safaris, and indirectly another 4.16 million jobs in the tourism industry are supported by visitors who choose to travel by air. Another seven million jobs will be created in other parts of the economy by measuring direct and indirect tourism jobs supported by air transport, and by employees who spend their income on goods and services.
Aviation, with its direct and indirect effects, supports more than 8.44 million jobs in the tourism industry, contributing about $ 1 trillion a year to the world’s gross domestic product. The reasons for the expansion of aviation lie precisely in its specific characteristics. One of these features is aviation security; Safe air travel is the result of technical factors (aircraft technical performance) and human factors (staff and crew training) and meteorological factors. Compared to other modes of transport (rail, road and sea), air transport is classified as the safest type of transport. The fact that air travel, while maintaining the evolution of technology and knowledge, also offers a very special sense of flight.
The use of aviation, however, has some drawbacks, including their dependence on environmental conditions. Environmental and geographical conditions, which sometimes jeopardize the possibility of achieving the right schedule or travel, can also not be ignored that air transport is strongly affected by fuel shortages, terrorism, economic and political crises. Despite these disadvantages, air travel is still in high demand in tourist travel.
Airline passengers are divided into three distinct categories, the audience who prefer air travel regardless of cost. These are the “absolute” passengers of air traffic. Having a high income in choosing the means of transportation and the type of aircraft with the criteria of “time” and “comfort” is one of the characteristics of these passengers. Another group of people have to travel by air, as the only means of transportation (for example, the physically and physically disabled). The third group is the general public who do not have to travel by air and compare this model of travel. Another classification can be made based on the motivation of the travelers in the journey: those who should travel and those who want to travel. The travelers who have to travel are mostly those who travel for business and need comfort and convenience. Travelers who travel to participate in various political, cultural, sports, religious, recreational or medical fields. The price of such a trip has a high level, which allows it to have superior services, high flexibility and adaptation to the needs of the traveler. Travelers who want to travel are those who travel for personal and mostly tourist reasons. They make up the largest category, but are less lucrative than other airline passengers. The price paid for these is less than the cost paid by the first category. The aviation industry has huge revenues, but it is very expensive and profitability is slightly different between the two indicators. It is very easy to fall from a small profit to a large loss.
One of the types of air transport is charter transport, the term “charter” is derived from the Latin word chartula, which means contract or rental of means of transport. In the tourism industry, charter tours mean trips that include pre-arranged services such as transportation, accommodation, excursions and most meals, and options for tourism-related activities. Charter agencies have facilitated an increasing number of destinations for regular tourists by offering competitively priced tours, ensuring customer safety and reducing the need for people to organize their holiday time.
A long-term threat to charter tourism is that it changes the identity and behavior of consumers among tourists according to the type of services provided, which reflects the individual consumption of goods and services.
Despite the historical crises in charter tourism and the fact that the type of travel has been different in different regions, its overall impact on tourism today is very significant.
Therefore, air transport is profitable only for a certain number of passengers. Factors that will help increase profitability in the coming years include lower fuel prices, productivity and better cost management. A review of the past shows us that aviation is not an issue that thrives on government intervention. Profits in this sector are very low and the upstream costs are higher in taxes and debts.