Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Contemporary water-based transport in tourism takes a variety of differ-
ent forms encompassing very large craft such as cruise ships and ferries of over
70,000 tonnes, capable of carrying over 2000 passengers, as well as small indi-
vidual craft such as kayaks. It can be divided into sea travel (ferries and
ocean-going cruises), routes along inland waterways, and small craft such as
urban ferries and taxis and individual pleasure craft. In the tourism literature,
water-based tourism usually refers to water sports activities undertaken at a
destination (see, for example, Kokkranikal et al, 2003). This includes small
pleasure craft such as kayaks and dinghies, which may be motorized, non-
motorized or human-powered. Many of these craft are not normally used for
travel, and there is some ambiguity about the inclusion of small pleasure craft
within the slow travel concept.
Nevertheless, small pleasure craft, such as kayaks, yachts and motor cruis-
ers, can facilitate travel, albeit often within a relatively small radius of the
destination. For example, tourists might go on a whale-watching trip for a
day, or hire a canoe for an afternoon on a lake. Such trips, while involving
movement, essentially return to the same base within a few hours and may or
may not include visiting a different destination (such as an island, in the case
of whale-watching, or a settlement further down the lake, in the case of canoe
hire). Whilst predominantly destination-based activities, small pleasure craft
do embrace many of the core ingredients of slow travel: movement at a slow
pace, low-carbon impact and experiential opportunities. They also offer the
potential for longer trips. Small boat excursions can also double up as ferries,
often performing an important function for isolated communities, and provide
opportunities for tourists to travel on routes that are not otherwise available.
This is, for example, the case in many parts of the world, such as the Gulf
Island ferries in British Columbia, or the ferries in the Western Isles of
Scotland. The distinction between a water-based activity and water-based
travel can be blurred, and in some cases is not particularly helpful. However,
that said, from a slow travel perspective, some forms of water-based travel,
such as hourly canoe hire, provide almost no opportunity for actual travel
and should be excluded from this analysis as essentially destination-based
activities.
Cruising is another ambiguous category, which Cooper et al (2008, p417)
describe as a 'holiday product as much as a mode of transport'. Cruises also
take different forms, from large ocean-going vessels to small river cruisers and
opportunities provided by cargo ships. From a slow travel perspective there is
much doubt about the inclusion of cruise ships, due to environmental concerns
and limited place encounters, which we discuss in more detail below. Ferries,
on the other hand, provide essential links, especially for island communities.
For instance, Greece is very dependent on ferries from the mainland to the
islands and between islands, with Piraeus port handling 13 million passengers
per year (Cooper et al, 2008). Ferries are therefore a component of slow travel.
Slow travel therefore encompasses both destination-based tourism prod-
ucts, to some extent, and also wider forms of water-based transport that are
involved in, and facilitate, tourism. Destinations in Europe such as Bruges and
Venice are noted for their water transport; it is an integral part of the visitor
