Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Through carefully managed presentation of information the aviation industry
may seek to manipulate the public's understanding of climate change impacts
so as to reduce potential defection from air travel to other modes.
There is also a continued discussion regarding mass tourism. In many con-
texts mass tourism may be the most suitable development option (Sharpley,
2009). There are also many examples where mass tourism is much more sus-
tainable than holidays that are marketed as sustainable tourism such as
eco-tourism. For instance, traditional UK domestic tourism to holiday centres
(e.g. Center Parcs and Butlins) has fewer negative impacts than an eco-tourism
trip to the Galapagos Islands (see, for example, Wheeller, 1993). A typical hol-
iday to Butlins would once have been facilitated by rail travel for the vast
majority of tourists, and there is considerable scope for slow travel to be rein-
tegrated with some forms of mass tourism.
In order to develop slow travel there is a need for sector engagement to
address the structures that currently prevent slow travel options and to create
new slow travel options (Dickinson et al, 2010a). This requires destinations to
reconsider their source markets and opt for those closer in spatial terms. At
the same time, tour operators need to reconsider the tourism transport inter-
face and re-package opportunities to visit near-to-home destinations by slow
modes. This may require western society as a whole to reconsider the nature
of a holiday.
What is a holiday?
The idea of the holiday has evolved over time. The term originated in the mid-
dle ages where many holidays were linked to the church's holy days and fitted
into the rhythm of the working countryside, and included wakes, feasts, fairs
and markets (Torkildsen, 1999). In this way a holiday was integrated with
patterns of work. However, the origins are even older, going back further than
the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, as an idea associated with privilege and
the elite. Prior to the Second World War, few in Europe were able to afford
holidays away from home. However, since then, a rise in disposable income
and paid leave has enabled the majority of the population the opportunity to
take holidays away from home on at least some occasions. Subsequently,
tourism evolved as a global industry, the concept, in part defined as spending
leisure time away from home. Today the idea of a holiday is institutionalized
as a trip away from home, often packaged as a week or weekend. However,
while tourism implies travel away from home - a holiday can be at home -
travel other than very short distances is not inevitable. It is also assumed, in
the current era, that travel is positive and desirable, so much so that much sta-
tus is attached to taking holidays and travelling to particular destinations
(Gnoth, 1997). Within a short space of time western society has become accus-
tomed to travel, and it is the norm to take an annual holiday appropriate to
your status in society.
Yet this ability to travel is not necessarily a positive thing. Chapter 2
explored both environmental impacts and other less than positive outcomes
for host communities. There may also be less personal benefits than people
might think. It is possible to substitute the perceived personal benefits of travel
