tourism and transport forum media

Tourism＆Transport Forum Australia (TTF) is the peak industry group for the Australian tourism, transport andaviation sectors. A national, member-funded CEO forum TTF advocates the public policy interests of leadingcorporations and institutions in these sectorsTourism& Transport Forum Australia (TTF)，originally the Tourism Task Force, was established as anot-for-profit company in 1989 to provide a strong voice for the tourism and aviation sectors in the wake of Australia’s devastating pilots’ strike that year, and to address a number of major issues impacting the industry at that time including a reduction of the Australian Tourist Commission budget, the investment malaise affecting hotel ownership and the political inertia governing the development of Sydney Airports third runwayUnder the chairmanship of former federal Tourism Minister, the Hon John Brown AO, and with the support of TTF’s first CEO Susan Hunt, TTF immediately bolstered the industry’s fortunes by securing funding of $23 million from the Hawke government for a campaign to boost domestic tourism after the pilots’ strike.Over the following years, TTF built on its early successes and secured its position as the country’s peak advocacy group for the tourism, aviation, transport and Andrew McEvoy。investment sectors.In 2002, John Brown retired from TTF and was succeeded by Australia’s most distinguished business leader in airline andtravel distribution, Leslie Cassar AM. TTF’s charter was expanded to better embrace aviation and transport. Thefollowing year, TTF rebranded and became the Tourism& Transport Forum Australiato reflect this new direction.Former NSW Minister for Tourism ＆Roads, Transport and the Sydney Olympics Bid, the Hon Bruce Baird AM, took over the chairmanship between 2008 and 2014. Mr Baird was succeeded by Katie Lahey AM who has recently retired. Our currentchair who also leads the TTF Advisory Board is Andrew McEvoy.

Home » News » TTF takes 2 key steps towards Indigenous reconciliation

TTF takes 2 key steps towards Indigenous reconciliation

The Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia has released its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and its First Nations Tourism Hub as part of its commitment to supporting First Nations tourism and reconciliation in 2024.

Speaking ahead of the Reflect RAP’s unveiling at TTF’s Industry Luncheon with NSW Premier Chris Minns in Sydney, TTF CEO Margy Osmond said it marked a proud day for the tourism industry and its dedication to First Nations communities.

“What a privilege it is to present the Tourism and Transport Forum’s Reflect RAP. We are honoured to be working towards a meaningful reconciliation journey with First Nations people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work and travel,” Osmond said.

“We’re committed to ensuring First Nations tourism can grow and thrive, so that all international visitors to Australia, as well as domestic travellers, have the opportunity to fully appreciate, understand and experience the world’s oldest continuous living culture.”

Wintjiri Wiru Kurpany at Uluru with Voyages Indigenous Tourism

NSW Premier Chris Minns welcomed the announcement and the industry’s commitment to First Nations tourism, particularly in New South Wales.

“ Congratulations  to the Tourism & Transport Forum for launching their Reconciliation Action Plan and prioritising support for First Nations tourism and reconciliation,” Premier Minns said.

“The NSW Government is working closely with industry to ensure First Nations tourism receives the support it needs to flourish, so we can continue to offer rich and diverse First Nations experiences, which are increasingly in demand from domestic and international visitors to our state.”

Osmond added: “As the peak body for the tourism & transport sectors, this is not just an important commitment for our organisation, but for the industry more broadly. We look forward to working closely with our members on their reconciliation journeys and ensuring we all take genuine steps to work together, listen and learn from First Nations people.

Indigenous guide leads a tour group in Tasmania

“We want to create an environment where First Nations people can flourish, by sharing their rich, vibrant and diverse stories, traditions and connection to Country. By going on this journey with the support of our members, we believe we can bring people closer together and build a sector that is truly contributing to the wellbeing of First Nations communities.”

TTF joins a network of more than 2,700 organisations which have formalised their commitment to reconciliation through the RAP program since 2006, across the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors.

TTF’s First Nations Tourism Hub has been designed to help members of the tourism, transport and aviation sectors engage with First Nations people across Australia.

The online portal provides a comprehensive guide to build thriving partnerships and create sustainable First Nations tourism experiences.

It includes information on  Key Organisations across Australia, Understanding Drivers of Change, Navigating the Land and Traditional Owners, Respectful Communication, Procurement & Accreditation, Improving Cultural Awareness  and  Starting your Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) .

The resource also includes video interviews with champions of First Nations tourism, including Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, YHA Australia, The NRMA, Intrepid Travel, Tourism Australia and Reconciliation Australia.

TTF also released a new artwork commissioned by Bayadherra, which has been incorporated into both the RAP design and online hub.

TTF and Bayadherra’s new artwork

Founded by proud Aboriginal Yorta Yorta siblings Luke and Siena Tieri, Bayadherra’s mission as young, emerging artists is to promote reconciliation and cultural understanding.

Daborra Iyawa,  which means ‘pathway as one’ in Yorta Yorta language, depicts community collaboration and inclusion between TTF and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

(Featured Image: People dancing to didgeridoo musical instrument sound rhythm in Queensland, Australia – iStock/chameleonseye)

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Margy Osmond

CEO of the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia

Margy Osmond is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia (TTF), assuming the role in October 2014. Margy has extensive experience in policy development and advocacy, politics, membership organisations, management, media and public relations. Before joining TTF, Margy was the inaugural CEO of the Australian National Retailers’ Association, now the Retail Council, which was established in 2006 as a lobby and research organisation to be the voice of the large national retailers in Australia. Prior to this, Margy was the CEO of the State and Sydney Chambers of Commerce in NSW for five years.

Margy has a wide range of Board experience having been Chair of the NSW TAFE Commission Board and Chair of the Australian Sports Foundation, Deputy Chair of Tourism NSW, and served on the boards of the Australian Sports Commission, Bell Shakespeare, the Retail Employees Superannuation Trust, NSW Major Events, the NSW Police Minister’s Advisory Board and NSW State Transit Authority. Margy also chaired the bid and official Organising Committee for the largest non-elite sporting event in the world, the International World Masters Games, held in Sydney in 2009.

Tourism and Transport Forum

The Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) is the peak industry group for the Australian tourism, transport, aviation and investment sectors. A national, member-funded CEO forum, TTF advocates the public policy interests of 200 corporations and institutions in these sectors.  Its website includes quarterly analysis of cultural, heritage and Indigenous tourism statistics.

See:  Tourism and Transport Forum

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• Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Hon Julie Bishop MP

• Media Releases
• Transcripts

This content has been archived.

Address to tourism and transport forum.

• Speech, E&OE, proof only

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm delighted to be here at the Tourism and Transport Forum dinner after what sounds like a very productive day and I'm particularly delighted to be introduced by my buddy, the Hon Bruce Baird, the chairman of your forum.

Back in 1998 when I was a new kid in the Parliament and Bruce had been around, because Bruce had been in the State Parliament, we teamed up and we've been great mates ever since. And I really do pay tribute to Bruce for his commitment to the tourism and transport industry through his chairmanship of this forum.

He of course established the Friends of Tourism in Parliament, which was a very innovative idea at the time. I became one of the founding attendees of the Friends of Tourism and through that initiative learned a great deal more about this industry and its importance to Australia and our economy and our society. I'm delighted that my colleague Dan Tehan is here tonight, one of Bruce's distinguished successors as chairman of Friends of Tourism.

A number of other sectors of the Australian economy and Australian society have sought to emulate this initiative. We have friends of virtually everything these days in Parliament, it's just a very friendly place! We just spread the love and Dan is doing a fine job.

When the Abbott Government was elected on the 7th of September, there were several things that I wanted to do immediately. The first was to be appointed Foreign Minister, and through the grace of the Prime Minister that came about on the 18th of September, six months ago yesterday.

The second matter that I wanted to achieve as soon as I could was for tourism to become part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Many of you in this room will know that this was something that I long advocated and desperately wanted to achieve should we win government and so here was an opportunity to do it.

It was not a cost saving measure, it was not to streamline the public service. Yes, it was to find the right home for tourism but it was also because I felt passionately that tourism was at the heart of Australia's international engagement and it had to be placed within the premier department responsible for international engagement and that was the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Having Andrew Robb, the Minister for Trade and Investment as the Minister for Tourism was an important part of my thinking and now Cabinet has two tourism Ministers, in Andrew and me, committed to ensuring that we have clear and concise tourism policy objectives and that tourism's voice is heard, doubly heard, in the Cabinet.

We have also ensured that international tourism experts are located within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, so I have access within my own department to people whose expertise lies in international tourism.

We see tourism as being at the very heart of our international engagement. It is essentially at the intersection of economic diplomacy, of public diplomacy, of international development assistance. It is part of foreign affairs and trade in every sense of the word.

Economic diplomacy is the term that I have applied to one of our pillars driving Australia's foreign policy. I've often said that the Coalition's foreign policy is designed to project and protect our reputation as an open, export-orientated, market economy - a very successful one - and project and protect our reputation as an open, liberal democracy, committed to freedoms and rule of law and democratic institutions.

And underpinning that vision for our foreign policy is this notion of economic diplomacy. By that I mean – just as traditional diplomacy seeks to achieve peace, economic diplomacy seeks to achieve prosperity. In that regard, we in the Coalition are very aware of the contribution that tourism makes to our economic prosperity.

After all we know that tourism is the largest services, export sector, we know that you employ well over half a million Australians, that you contribute well over $40 billion to the Australian economy.

And interestingly, you are also vital to our most important two-way trading partner in China, for now China is our most valuable tourism market which coincides brilliantly with its status as our largest two-way trading partner.

So in terms of our economic diplomacy pillar, tourism is key. But you're also key to our public diplomacy efforts as a country, because the people in this room and the people in the tourism and transport sectors, so often create the first impression that a visitor to Australia has of this country and first impressions count.

There are 18,000 new visitors every day to Australian airports across the country and about 38 per cent of them are coming to Australia for the first time. When you've 18,000 coming in every day and 38 per cent will be first time visitors, you know how important it is for our tourism and transport sectors to rise to the occasion.

So imagine you're a visitor arriving in this country for the first time. You're from Japan, or Korea, or China. You trip in from the airport, you're booking into a hotel, the meal, the room that you have, the landmarks that you see, the experience that you have in the first 24 hours can leave a lasting impression. And what we want to make sure of, is that tourism experience or that visitor experience, in every sense, will drive people to return – to look at Australia as a place to relax, to feel safe, to invest, maybe we'll send the kids to university here, come back for their holidays.

We want them to be attracted to Australia across the board, and your sector is vital to those important impressions. So tourism matters. It matters a great deal and that's why I'm so proud to have tourism within our department. And as Bruce mentioned that means that Tourism Australia - an initiative of a Coalition Government - Tourism Australia is part of our overseas team, our Team Australia in international engagement.

Over time I want to see Tourism Australia co-located with our embassies, our missions, our posts overseas so that our Tourism Australia representatives are working side by side with our diplomats, with our trade representatives with the vast number of people who advocate Australia's interests overseas.

On a recent trip to Japan and South Korea I had my usual briefing. When I arrive in a country the embassy or the mission lines up the experts to tell me about the political situation, the defence relationship, the security situation, the intelligence relationship, economic, cultural, you name it. Now, Tourism Australia representatives are at those briefing meetings. Now that's a vast difference to what's happened previously and it makes a difference.

So when I'm being briefed on the bilateral relationship with the country I'm visiting, Tourism Australia is at the table. And in Japan and Korea, Andrew Riley who is the Tourism Australia manager - poor man - he had to meet me in Tokyo one day and then a couple of days later come down and see me in Seoul. It was good to see him on both occasions. This integral briefing on the part of Tourism Australia is very important to my understanding of my relationship with my counterpart Minister and Australia's relationship with the country involved in my visit.

That also means that when I have meetings with my counterpart Foreign Minister, or Trade Minister, or Deputy Prime Minister, or Prime Minister or President, whomever I meet, tourism is a top of mind issue, our international engagement is top of mind.

Now, I am aware of the Deloitte Access Economics report and I want to congratulate tourism for being nominated as one of the five super sectors that will drive Australia's future prosperity. I think that's a fantastic finding and it is quite right and quite appropriate that tourism takes it place with gas and agribusiness and education and wealth management as one of the five areas that will drive our prosperity into the future.

I've been very fond in recent weeks of talking about Australia as a top 20 nation. Other governments have their own definition or description of Australia, some call us a middle power and I say 'middle of what' of the 198 countries on Earth? I say no, we're far more powerful and significant than that. And because the G20 is being held in Brisbane this year I think that it's time we started calling ourselves a G20 nation because in fact against every economic indicator that counts Australia is in the top 20. We might be 53rd when it comes to population but when it comes to economic indicators we're right up there in the top 20. We're the 16th when it comes to the level of inward investment we're 13th when it comes to the level of outward investment. We're the 12th largest economy. We are the 10th largest stock exchange. We're the fifth most resilient economy. We're the fifth largest economy on a per capita basis, we're the fourth largest economy in Asia after China, Japan and South Korea. We have the third largest pool of investment stocks under management. I could go on. We're number one actually, we're number one when it comes to the proportion of the population that has a net worth in excess of $100,000, so how about that?!

Importantly, I now add to my list that we have the eighth largest national tourism market in the world. I was in London last week and the BBC informed me that they had nominated Australia as a superpower, a lifestyle superpower! I'm happy with that.

I mentioned that tourism is important for our economic diplomacy and our public diplomacy. It's also important for our overseas development assistance. Australia, under the Abbott Government, has focussed on our $5 billion per year aid budget, and being able to lift standards of living in our region, lift people out of poverty through economic growth. So we've taken quite a different approach to overseas development assistance. We're focussing on our region and we're focussing on economic development and jobs and opportunities for people to have a better life through economic growth, and the tourism industry is playing a vital part in that aspect of foreign policy.

Let me give you a great example. Carnival Cruises have entered into an agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Through this agreement, Carnival Cruises take their cruise ships through the Pacific - and they have a fantastic market in cruise liners into the Pacific - and working with DFAT they provide opportunities for the local people in the Pacific Islands to supply Carnival Cruises with goods and services. In Vanuatu for example, the water company, Vanuatu Water is supplying Carnival Cruises with all the water needed for the cruises once they stop in Vanuatu. This kind of support, assisted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through our aid budget, is making a real difference in our region. And believe me, if we can have prosperity in our region it's in our national interest. Stability, security, peace and prosperity in our region, underpinned by sustained economic growth is in Australia's national interest. So the tourism sector should take a bow at being part of our vision for a safe and secure, prosperous, Indo-Pacific.

Another area of particular interest of mine in the public diplomacy space is sports diplomacy. We've actually set up a division within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on sports diplomacy. It's one of our strengths. We're really good at it, as I reminded all the South Asian Heads of Mission at a morning tea this morning, because all seven nations -Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia were all playing in the Cricket World Cup or the T20 cricket cup in Bangladesh - so I just reminded them that we were good at cricket and they were all pretty pleased to hear that from me!

But it is one of our strengths and sports diplomacy is part of our international engagement, and we should take it seriously because events like the Cricket World Cup in 2015 will have enormous potential for Australia to sell itself to the world. There are cricket tragics from everywhere coming to Australia and New Zealand. And I hope, as Minister Morrison has talked about the visa arrangements that we've got, so there could be a one stop visa opportunity between Australia and New Zealand. That's the kind of thing we can do to make life easier for those in the tourism sector and for those coming to Australia. Because the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has that whole of government view, whether it's Immigration, whether it's trade, whether it's the AFP, whoever it is, wherever it is, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is used to being that whole of government facilitator. We know there is an Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in 2015, there's always the Australian Open tennis, there are so many opportunities for us to sell Australia via sports diplomacy, and we will continue to do that in cooperation and conjunction and partnership with the tourism and transport sectors.

On election night, Prime Minister elect Tony Abbott said that Australia was under new management and was open for business. That phrase has resonated around the world. He gave a speech at Davos in January and he spoke of the initiatives that we were taking to get Australia's economy back on track. To get our budget back in surplus. To pay off government debt. To talk about the smaller government, less government interference in our economy. And it resonated.

I have Foreign Ministers from Norway and other European countries ringing and saying, thank god there's a world leader saying what needs to be said about how to stimulate an economy. And of course Australia is going into its 23rd consecutive year of economic growth but we cannot be complacent about it. So yes we will get the budget back into surplus, which means cutting back basically all government spending. Yes we will reduce government debt, which was heading towards $667 billion under the previous government. I wish I were kidding! We will get rid of unnecessary taxes, the carbon tax, the mining tax. We are committed to getting rid of unnecessary red tape and regulation, and no doubt you've heard that today was repeal day. We are setting aside whole days of the Parliament to repeal unnecessary red tape and regulation. The previous government used to boast about how much regulation and legislation they introduced into the Parliament. As if it was a badge of honour, to say well another couple of hundred regulations introduced today and it's completely against the interests of business and a growing economy. So we're doing completely the reverse. We are reducing the burden of red tape and regulation on Australian businesses, and I know that that will have an impact on the tourism sector.

So being open for business means making it easier to do business in Australia, not harder, and we are committed to that. Part of that is consulting with business, listening to them, getting your feet back, understanding your concerns. I know that my dear friend and colleague Minister Andrew Robb has been consulting and listening. He was telling me recently about the principles that he wants to apply to the tourism industry, specifically the belief that a tourism experience in Australia has to be high quality. We will do what we can to support you in what I know is a shared vision: a high quality experience.

Again we're going to get rid of the red tape that surrounds your sector. Please tell us what it is that we can repeal, what you believe is unnecessary. We don't want to compromise quality, we don't want to compromise transparency and accountability but there is a lot of red tape inherent in what you do, which is not necessary and we are the government to get rid of it.

We also believe that the marketing campaigns have to really hit the mark. We know that it's a very competitive world out there when it comes to the tourism dollar, and sure we're doing pretty well. We can do better. Our marketing has to be utterly and absolutely spot on, and we want to work with you to ensure that we achieve that.

Finally we want to be part of developing the necessary tourism infrastructure. Prime Minister Abbott has said that he wants to be known as the 'infrastructure Prime Minister' and we have a very ambitious agenda to get the roads of the 21st Century built. To ensure that we've got the infrastructure to assist you in the tourism and transport sectors to achieve your goals and your aims.

We're also concerned to ensure that we have a workforce that is attuned to the visitors and tourists who will be coming to Australia, and one of our signature foreign policy initiatives that will have an impact on your sector is what we've dubbed the New Colombo Plan. This is a student program that will see Australian undergraduates have a Commonwealth-backed opportunity to study at a university in the region. To learn the language. To undertake some study that will be accredited to their course back home. To live amongst the people. To immerse themselves in the culture and then come back to Australia with new perspectives and new ideas and new insights, and hopefully new skills of living and working in the Indian Ocean Asia Pacific because that's where so many of our tourism opportunities lie.

As part of this New Colombo Plan, our young students will have the opportunity to undertake an internship or a work experience in a business or organisation in the host country. You can imagine what potential this has for our bright young Australians.

We announced the New Colombo Plan in December, and the universities worked very hard over the Christmas break. The first tranche of 300 Australian students are going to four pilot locations; Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan. They'll be leaving Australia next month. The second tranche - another 300 - will be going in the middle of the year and then 40 in September for 12 month scholarships. By 2015, we will have opened the New Colombo Plan to the region and already, countries like China, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India are asking to be part of the New Colombo Plan.

I want this to be a 'rite of passage' for young Australians, to spend part of their undergraduate years studying, learning, living overseas. I can't think of a better way of having a body of employees in Australia, a body of decision makers, community leaders, business leaders, politicians of the future, who have had that overseas student experience.

The original Colombo Plan was established by the Menzies Government in the 1950s. It saw 40,000 people from the region come to Australia over 30 years to study in our universities, and I'm continually surprised by the number of vice presidents, or presidents, or cabinet ministers, or business leaders from the region, whether it's in Singapore, Malaysia or Philippines, who say "I know about Australia. I understand Australia because of my experience as a Colombo Plan scholar in the 1960s or 1970s". We want to do that in reverse, and have young Australians understand the region, understand where we live and be better able to promote Australia – whether they are living here, or they are living overseas - so they become 'Asia-literate'. I hope that they will be part of what I see as an enduring vision for Australia, to be the global go-to destination for people across the world.

Congratulations on the work that you are doing for Australia. Thank you Bruce for having me here this evening and I wish you all the very best as together we ensure that tourism retains its rightful place at the heart of our international engagement.

Media enquiries

The Geography of Transport Systems

The spatial organization of transportation and mobility

B.7 – Tourism and Transport

Author: dr. jean-paul rodrigue.

Tourism, as an economic activity, relies on transportation to bring tourists to destinations, and transportation can be part of the touristic experience.

1. The Emergence of the Tourism Industry

Since the 1970s where tourism became increasingly affordable, the number of international tourists has more than doubled . The expansion of international tourism has a large impact on the discipline of transport geography since it links traffic generation, interactions at different scales (from the local to the global), and the related transportation modes and terminals. As of 2016, 1.2 billion international tourist receipts were accounted for, representing more than 10% of the global population. The industry is also a large employer accounting for 10% of all the global employment; 30 tourist visits are usually associated with one job. 30% of the global trade of services is accounted for by tourism. Tourism dominantly takes place in Europe and North America , but geographical diversification is taking place.

Traveling has always been an important feature, but its function has substantially evolved. Historically, travelers were explorers and merchants looking to learn about regions, potential markets and to find goods and resources. The risks and exoticism associated also attracted the elite that could afford the large expenses and the time required to travel to other remote destinations. Many wrote realistic and even imaginary travel accounts. As time moved on and as transportation became more reliable, traveling became a more mundane activity taking place in an organized environment; tourism. In the modern world, traveling is more centered around annual holidays and can be reasonably well predicted.

As an economic activity, tourism is characterized by a high demand level of elasticity. As transport costs are significant for international transportation, cost fluctuations strongly influence demand. Therefore, transport is a key element in the tourism industry. The demand in international and even national transport infrastructures implies a large number of people to be transported in an efficient, fast, and inexpensive manner. It requires heavy investments and complex organization. Well-organized terminals and planned schedules are essential in promoting adequate transportation facilities for tourists, notably since the industry is growing at a fast rate.

Transport is the cause and the effect of the growth of tourism. First, the improved facilities have incited tourism , and the expansion of tourism has prompted the development of transport infrastructure. Accessibility is the main function behind the basics of tourism transport. In order to access sought-after destinations, tourists have a range of transportation modes that are often used in a sequence. Air transport is the primary mode for international tourism, which usually entails travel over long distances. Growth rates of international air traffic are pegged to growth rates of international tourism.

Transport policies and national regulations can influence destinations available to tourists. One dimension concerns the openness to tourism through travel visa restrictions , which vary substantially depending on the countries of origin of tourists. Unsurprisingly, travelers from developed countries, particularly Europe, face the least restrictions, while travelers from developing countries face a much more stringent array of restrictions. Another dimension concerns the provision of infrastructure. If the public sector does not cope with the demand in terms of transport infrastructures, the tourist industry might be impaired in its development. However, land transport networks in various countries are designed to meet the needs of commercial movements that tourism requires.

Tourism usually contributes enough to the local economy that governments are more than willing to improve road networks or airport facilities, especially in locations with limited economic opportunities other than tourism. There are, however, significant differences in the amount of spending per type of mode, namely between cruise and air transport tourism. Cruise shipping tourism provides much less revenue than a tourist brought by air travel. A significant reason is that cruise lines are capturing as much tourism expenses within their ships as possible (food, beverages, entertainment, shopping) and have short port calls, often less than a day. Tourists arriving by air transport usually stay several days at the same location and use local amenities.

2. Means and Modes

Tourism uses all the standard transportation modes since travelers rely on existing passenger transport systems, from local transit systems to global air transportation.

• Car traveling is usually an independent transport conveyance where the traveler decides the route and the length of the trip. It is usually cheaper since road fees are not directly paid and provided as a public. It is the only transportation mode that does not require transfers, in the sense that the whole journey, from door to door can be achieved. Along major highway corridors, service activities such as restaurants, gas stations, and hotels have agglomerated to service the traffic, many of which touristic. Car transport is the dominant mode in world tourism (77% of all journeys), notably because of advantages such as flexibility, price, and independence. Tourists will often rent cars to journey within their destinations, which has triggered an active clustering of car rental companies adjacent to main transport terminals (airports, train stations) and touristic venues.
• Coach traveling uses the same road network as cars. Coaches are well suited for local mass tourism but can be perceived as a nuisance if in too large numbers since they require a large amount of parking space. They can be used for short duration local tours (hours) but also can be set for multi-days journeys where the coach is the conveyance moving tourists from one resort to another.
• Rail travel was the dominant form of passenger transport before the age of the automobile. The railway network usually reflects more the commercial needs of the national economy then holiday tourist flows which can make it a less preferred choice as a traveling mode. The railway systems of several countries, notably in Europe, have seen massive investments for long-distance routes and high-speed services. Due to the scenery or the amenities provided, rail transportation can also be a tourist destination in itself. Several short rail lines that no longer had commercial potential have been converted for tourism.
• Air transport is by far the most effective transport mode. Notably because of prices, only 12.5% of the tourists travel by plane, but for international travel, this share is around 40%. Air transport has revolutionized the geographical aspect of distances; the most remote areas can now be reached any journey around the world can be measured in terms of hours of traveling. Business travelers are among the biggest users of airline facilities, but low-cost air carriers have attracted a significant market segment mainly used for tourism.
• Cruises are mainly providing short sea journeys of about a week. Cruising has become a significant tourist industry. Cruise ships act as floating resorts where guests can enjoy amenities and entertainment while being transported along a chain of port calls. The international market for cruising was about 22.2 million tourists in 2015, which involves an annual growth rate above 7% since 1990. The main cruise markets are the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, with Alaska and Northern Europe fjords also popular during the summer season. This industry is characterized by a high level of market concentration with a few companies, such as Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises who account for about 70% of the market. The impacts of cruising on the local economy are mitigated as the strategy of cruising companies is to retain as much income as possible. This implies that tourists spend most of their money on the cruise ship itself (gift shops, entertainment, casinos, bars, etc.) or on-island facilities owned by cruise shipping companies.

3. Mass Tourism and Mass Transportation

Tourism transport can be divided into two categories:

• Independent means of travel ; controlled by individual tourists who book them on their own. This mainly involves the private automobile, but also mass conveyances that are booked to travel on an individual basis such as regularly scheduled flights, rail connections, ferries, and even cruises.
• Mass travel ; where tourists travel in organized groups. The most common form involves chartered buses and flights used for this single purpose.

When tourism was mainly for the elite, independent means of travel prevailed. However, the emergence of mass tourism and the significant revenue it provides for local economies required the setting of mass transportation systems and specialized firms such as travel agencies organizing travel on behalf of their customers. These firms were able to take advantage of their pricing power being able to negotiate large volumes of passengers for carriers and hotels. Some were even able to become air carriers, such as Thomas Cook Airlines and Air Transat, which are major charterers in their respective markets. Paradoxically, the growth of online travel booking services has favored the re-emergence of independent means of travel since an individual is able to book complex travel services, including transport and hotel accommodations. Thus, the segmentation of the travel industry is linked with the segmentation of the supporting transport systems.

The seasonality of tourism has an important impact on the use and allocation of transportation assets.

• Air transport has a notable seasonality where tourism results in variations in demand, summer being the peak season. Because of this seasonality and the high cost of acquiring additional assets to accommodate peak demand, the airline industry has pricing power during peak touristic demand. This also leads the seasonal charter services to pick up the potential unmet demand. During the winter, charterers focus on subtropical destinations (e.g. Caribbean, Mexico), while during the summer there is more a focus on the European market.
• Cruises also have a seasonality where many cruise lines are repositionning their assets according to variations in the destination preferences. During winter months, the Caribbean is an important destination market, while during the summer, destinations like the Mediterranean, Alaska, and Norway are more prevalent.

4. Covid-19 and its Impacts

Related topics.

• Air Transport
• Airport Terminals
• Transportation and Economic Development
• The Cruise Industry

Bibliography

• Graham, A. and F. Dobruszkes (eds) (2019) Air Transport – A Tourism Perspective, Amsterdam: Elsevier.
• World Economic Forum (2017) The travel & tourism competitiveness report 2017, World Economic Forum.

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What is travel and tourism’s role in future global prosperity?

The travel and tourism sector faces many challenges in a disrupted world, from geopolitical tensions to climate change. Image:  Unsplash.

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Stay up to date:, travel and tourism.

• The travel and tourism sector faces many challenges in a disrupted world, from geopolitical tensions to climate change.
• The sector can be a powerful driver of sustainable economic prosperity – supporting people and places.
• The latest Travel and Tourism Development Index benchmarks the factors and policies that enable resilient and sustainable development.

With 2023 at an end, the Travel and Tourism (T&T) sector is finally positioned to move past the impact of the pandemic, with international tourist arrivals anticipated to reach levels reminiscent of the pre-pandemic era . However T&T sector stakeholders and destinations are navigating a complex terrain marked by external challenges such as geopolitical and economic uncertainty, inflation and dangers from the proliferation of extreme weather events like wildfires.

Many of these issues represent broader ongoing and longer-term economic, environmental, societal, geopolitical and technological trends. Within this context, consumers, policy-makers and advocates have expressed growing apprehension about the sector’s record on sustainability and its role in issues such as climate change, overcrowding, and overall impact on local communities.

Against this dynamic backdrop, it becomes imperative for the leaders and visionaries of the T&T industry to not only comprehend the impending trends but also acknowledge the sector's potential to tackle global challenges. When managed thoughtfully, travel and tourism emerge as potent drivers of resilient and sustainable development, contributing to the collective well-being of our planet.

The TTDI benchmarks and measures “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the T&T sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country”. The TTDI is a direct evolution of the long-running Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), with the change reflecting the index’s increased coverage of T&T development concepts, including sustainability and resilience impact on T&T growth and is designed to highlight the sector’s role in broader economic and social development as well as the need for T&T stakeholder collaboration to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, bolster the recovery and deal with future challenges and risks. Some of the most notable framework and methodology differences between the TTCI and TTDI include the additions of new pillars, including Non-Leisure Resources, Socioeconomic Resilience and Conditions, and T&T Demand Pressure and Impact. Please see the Technical notes and methodology. section to learn more about the index and the differences between the TTCI and TTDI.

Why travel and tourism have a role to play in future global prosperity

The recently released World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report 2024 sheds light on the short- and long-term risks that the world faces. According to the report’s survey results, economic and societal risks, such as inequality, inflation, migration, and economic downturns, take center stage in the next two years, while environmental concerns, including extreme weather events and biodiversity loss, dominate the global risks for the next decade.

Given that T&T accounts for 7.6% of global GDP and close to 300 million jobs , the sector plays a critical role in addressing societal and economic challenges. The sector's significance magnifies as it empowers small- and medium-sized enterprises, with over 80% of T&T businesses falling under this category. It also plays a pivotal role in employing women, youth, migrants, and informal workers, thereby contributing significantly to economic opportunities .

T&T is also a major driver of global connectivity at a time when geopolitical tensions and conflict are on the rise, while globalization seems to be slowing. In the coming decade, T&T’s role in mitigating socioeconomic risks will only climb, with the World Travel and Tourism Council forecasting T&T sector GDP to grow at nearly double the rate of the broader global economy in the 10 years to 2033, thereby adding more than 100 million new jobs.

On an environmental level, T&T is a key stakeholder in addressing climate change and protecting the environment. The sector is not only affected by these challenges but also contributes to climate change with around 8% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions stemming from tourism activities. Therefore, actions in the sector, especially in hard-to-abate segments like aviation, are important to helping meet global climate change targets. Moreover, many destinations' dependence on nature-based attractions makes T&T a means to generate economic value for protecting nature.

Have you read?

What is overtourism and how can we overcome it , this is how to leverage community-led sustainable tourism for people and biodiversity, are we finally turning the tide towards sustainable tourism, the podcasts to listen to during davos #wef24, unlocking travel and tourism's potential.

To unlock the full potential of T&T as a tool for addressing many of the world’s ongoing and future challenges, sector leaders must prioritize sustainability and resilience in their development strategies.

The Global Future Council on Sustainable Tourism emphasizes the importance of creating standards and metrics for sustainability, cultivating a well-trained and inclusive workforce, prioritizing and engaging with local communities, aligning visitors with destinations carrying capacity and making appropriate investments in relevant infrastructure .

Achieving these goals necessitates a high degree of collaboration among sector and non-sector businesses, employees, and government actors at national and local levels, including tourism and environmental agencies, civil society, and international organizations.

In the coming months, the Forum, in collaboration with the University of Surrey, will unveil the latest edition of the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI). This index promises to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the T&T sector.

Drawing on the latest data encompassing environmental and social impacts of T&T, labour markets, infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and demand sustainability, the TTDI offers insights into the challenges ahead, the sector's readiness for risks and opportunities, and how it can be leveraged to address global issues. The importance of T&T for global prosperity will only grow in the years, creating new opportunities for shared commitment to a sustainable and inclusive future.

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Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

FILE - Passenger drop off their baggage at United Airlines in C Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Houston. The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday, April 24, 2024, to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

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The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays.

Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.

Airlines still will be allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer.

The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights. And it will apply to fees for things such as seat selection or an internet connection if the airline fails to provide the service.

Complaints about refunds skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as airlines canceled flights and, even when they didn’t, many people didn’t feel safe sharing a plane cabin with other passengers.

Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. carriers, noted that refund complaints to the Transportation Department have fallen sharply since mid-2020. A spokesperson for the group said airlines “offer a range of options — including fully refundable fares — to increase accessibility to air travel and to help customers make ticket selections that best fit their needs.”

The group said the 11 largest U.S. airlines issued $43 billion in customer refunds from 2020 through 2023.

The Transportation Department issued a separate rule requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose upfront what they charge for checked and carry-on bags and canceling or changing a reservation. On airline websites, the fees must be shown the first time customers see a price and schedule.

The rule will also oblige airlines to tell passengers they have a guaranteed seat they are not required to pay extra for, although it does not bar airlines from charging people to choose specific seats. Many airlines now charge extra for certain spots, including exit-row seats and those near the front of the cabin.

The agency said the rule will save consumers more than $500 million a year.

Airlines for America said its members “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers” from their first search.

The new rules will take effect over the next two years. They are part of a broad administration attack on what President Joe Biden calls “junk fees.” Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that his department will let state officials in 15 states help enforce federal airline consumer protection laws .