Water transport

Modes of water transport:

• Ocean liners: Port to port transport, as from 1950 their passenger sections were almost totally replaced by air transport, fit for transatlantic routes

• Cruise liners:

• Ferry vessels: For short distances within a country or between two countries, used both as a means of day-to-day transportation and pleasure trip (like ferries between New York and Manhattan)

• Inland waterway vessels: Mainly found in lakes (like Switzerland), rivers (like Nile in Egypt) and canals (like Amsterdam-Holland)

• Pleasure crafts: Privately owned/chartered boats. Specially fit for island-hopping (like The Caribbean)

Unlike aviation, transport over land or water has developed since the dawn of civilization. Until the nineteenth century; animal or even human muscle was the motive power for vehicles, and this, together with the primitive state of the roads, explains why water transport was used wherever possible. Even today the 'freedom of the high seas' is internationally respected.

A distinction must be made between the long-haul or line routes plied by shipping and the short sea routes especially those of Europe and the Mediterranean, where ferries provide vital links in the international movement of travellers by road and rail. Cruising needs a separate category here since it is essentially water-borne tourism rather than a point-to-point voyage.

Sea travel is normally on a ferry, and the journey is called a crossing, but you can have a holiday on the sea if you go on a cruise. For some people a luxury cruise is the holiday of a lifetime [one you will always remember]. You may decide to book a berth in a shared cabin [a bed in a cabin with other people], or to have a single or double cabin. For more money, you can often get a deluxe cabin, perhaps on the upper deck [the higher part of the ship, which is often bigger and more comfortable]. Cruises often go to exotic [unusual or exciting] islands where you can get away from it all [escape your daily life and routines].

The world pattern of shipping routes

Passenger traffic on the short sea routes is increasing rapidly throughout Western Europe largely as the result of the popularity of motoring holidays and the growth of trade between the countries of the EC. The introduction of roll-on roll-off facilities has enabled the ports to handle a much greater volume of cars, coaches, and trucks, and most ferries now operate throughout the year with greatly improved standards of comfort and service. With the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 many cross-Channel ferry companies are moving their investment into the Western English Channel.

Cruising represents a purely leisure-based use of sea transport. The chartering and operation of ships for inclusive tours began in the 1860s and reached its heyday in the 1920s. Typically, such cruises lasted for several months and catered exclusively for upper-income groups with abundant leisure and wealth. The sea voyage, often undertaken for health reasons, was more important than the places visited. In the post-war period, cruising again increased in popularity and has helped to offset the great decline in scheduled services offered by the passenger liner. Since the 1950s shipping lines have diversified into cruising, although this has not always been an easy transition, as the ships were often unsuitable.

The introduction of fly-cruising 1960s was important as it allowed the cruise ship to be based in a port in the cruising region. Cruise ships have become smaller as few ports of call can accommodate 30 000-ton passenger liners. Increasingly, with the development of themed, special-interest cruises with sports and activities, ships are designed with a great deal of open deck space for warm-water voyages. The cruise market has proved resistant to recession with a loyal, repeat market.

The Caribbean is the most popular cruising. Its popularity is based on its position close to the American cruise market the largest in the world); its ideal climate and island scenery; and the wide choice of shore excursions. Cruise ships operate out of San Juan, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Barbados and Miami.

The two other main cruising regions are the Mediterranean and the Far East/Pacific. Cruising in the Mediterranean is dominated by the North European market. There are many ports of great cultural, historic, and natural interest which can be visited. Areas for summer cruises include the Baltic and Norwegian coast in northern Europe and British Columbia and Alaska in North America.

In Finland and Russia the Baltic seaports are kept open during most winters at considerable cost by fleets of icebreakers. Russia is at a disadvantage in having few ice-free ports and even these, such as Murmansk, are located far from the main centers of population However, in summer, sea-going vessels can penetrate great distances inland by using the very extensive system of rivers and canals.

Air transport

Scheduled services: Approx. 650 airlines operate on schedule around the world.

• Airlines Charter services: Non-scheduled flights chartered to middlemen to be marketed.

Air taxi services: Non-scheduled private flights used for business/personal trips.

The first and foremost distinguishing factor between scheduled and chartered flight is that scheduled flights follow a published timetable. Due to the same reason, it is marketed directly by airlines or their sales agents to passengers. In case of charter flights, it can not be included in streamlined marketing campaigns due to its demand-based nature. Middlemen like tour operators buy seats at bulk discounts and retail it to travel agents or end customers (passengers). Last, air taxis are unique in their tailor-made nature.

Of the many forms of transport used by tourists, it is the jet aircraft which has captured the imagination, since it has opened many formerly remote areas as holiday destinations. It must be emphasized that only a small percentage of the world’s population have ever used an airline, and even in developed countries surface modes of transport carry many more times their volume of passengers. Air transport has done most to bring about changes in the nature of international tourism and the structure of travel industry since the 1950s.

The airlines are now very prominent in the tourist industry and it is important to remember that there are two kinds of airline operations, scheduled and nonscheduled. A scheduled airline operates on fixed routes at fixed times according to a timetable that is available to the public.

A nonscheduled airline operates on routes at a time when there is a demand for the service. The nonscheduled airline is, in other words a charter operation that rents an aircraft. The competition between the two has been very tense.

As seating capacity increased with introduction of newer, larger and faster planes, the airlines were able to offer a percentage of their seats for sale through travel agents or tour operators. They introduced special fares and by means of these special fares, they were able to increase their business substantially. The greatest growth in tourism began with the introduction of these ITX fares, as they are called, in 1950’s and 1960’s.

The nonscheduled airlines got a start largely as a result of government business. In addition to transporting supplies or military personnel, the nonscheduled airlines chartered (rented) entire flights to groups that were traveling to the same destination – businessmen and their wives attending a convention, for example, members of a music society attending the Festival.

Charter inclusive tours were sold at even lover fares than the inclusive tours on scheduled airlines. All transportation is subject to regulation by government, but the airlines are among the most completely regulated of all carriers. The routes they can fly, the number of flights and many other matters are controlled by means of bilateral agreements between different countries in the case of international airlines.

Time zones

Time zones result from the earth's rotation relative to the sun; at any given moment at one locality it is noon, while half the world away to the east or west it is midnight. This means that for every 15° of longitude the time is advanced or put back by one hour; places that lie east of the Greenwich Meridian have a later hour, those to the west an earlier hour due to this apparent motion of the sun.

It was primarily the development of the railways which made it necessary to standardize timetables, using an international system of time zones based on the Greenwich Meridian. Since 1884 the world has been divided into 24 time zones in which standard time is arbitrarily applied to wide belts on either side of a particular meridian which is usually a multiple of 15° Travellers passing from one time zone to another will therefore adjust their watches by exactly one hour . Countries in the Western Hemisphere have time zones which are designated with a minus number as so many hours 'slow' behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). GMT is the standard time on the Greenwich Meridian passing through London. Countries in the Eastern Hemisphewre have time zones designated with a plus number as so many hours 'fast' on GMT. Only when it is noon on the Greenwich Meridian is it the same day worldwide; at all other times there is a 24-hour difference between each side of the 180° meridian. In 1884 the International Date Line was established as the boundary where each day actually begins at midnight and immediately spreads westwards. It corresponds to the 180° meridian

Determining Time Differences

You can find the time difference between any two places on earth if you know the location of each in relation to GMT. A time line, as shown in Figure 1.10, is often helpful when determining time differences.

Refer to the time line. Zero on the line represents GMT. To the right or east of GMT, the numbers +1, +2, +3, . . . refer to the number of time zones or hours later than GMT. To the left or west of GMT, the numbers ‑1, ‑2, ‑3, . . . refer to the number of time zones or hours earlier than GMT.

How to Determine Time Differences

1. What is the time difference between New York and San Diego? Refer to the GMT time line in Figure 1.10. New York is at ‑5 (five hours behind GMT) and San Diego is at ‑8 (eight hours behind GMT). There are three time zones that separate them or three hours' difference in time.

Is New York ahead or behind San Diego? (Ahead.) So, if it is 2:00 P.M. in New York, what time is it in San Diego? (Right! 11:00 A.M.)

2. What is the time difference between Athens and Bangkok? Athens is at +2 (two hours ahead of GMT). Bangkok is at +7 (seven hours ahead of GMT).

How many hours or time zones are between Athens and Bangkok? (Right! Five.) If it is 3:00 P.M. in Athens, what time is it in Bangkok? (Right! 8:00 P.M., since Bangkok is five hours ahead of Athens.)

3. What is the time difference between New York (‑5) and Bangkok (+7)? Refer to the time line. There are 12 time zones or hours that separate these two cities.

Bangkok is 12 hours ahead of New York. When it is 7:00 A.M. in New York, what time is it in Bangkok? (Right! 7:00 P.M.)