Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Know the features and facilities that
contribute to the appeal of long-haul
destinations for dif erent types of visitors
SECTION 4
We all have our own reasons for visiting particular long-
haul destinations. It could be to see a spectacular natural
feature, such as the Great Barrier Reef or the Niagara
Falls, or maybe to simply soak up some sunshine, have
fun with friends or take time out from a stressful job
.
Whatever our motivation, there are many featu
r
es
and facilities that contribute to a destination's appeal
- accessibility, attractions, destination facilities and
climate. This section of the unit look
s
in detail at how
these features make different lon
g
-haul destinations
appeal to different types of c
u
stomers, for example:
worldwide. Di
r
ect fl ights from the UK to long-haul
destinat
i
ons tend to be cheaper than journeys that
inv
o
lve a stopover, but many people choose to break
their journey and discover another destination en-route
to their fi nal location, e.g. passengers spending time in
Hong Kong or Singapore on a journey from the UK to
Australia or New Zealand.
Cruising is another way of reaching long-haul
destinations, either travelling from a port such as
Southampton or taking a fl ight from the UK to a
destination such as Florida or the Caribbean and
boarding the ship there - this is known as fl y-cruise.
Whereas in the past cruising tended to be the preserve
of rich and famous senior citizens, today's cruising
industry has products geared to all ages and budgets.
The arrival of the mass-market tour operators onto
the cruising scene, coupled with the development of
bigger, new generation ships, has heralded a new era
of packaged cruises at bargain basement prices.
1.
Leisure travellers, e.g. families, couples, gap year
travellers, VFR, etc.
2.
Business trav
el
ler
s
;
3.
Educational groups, tourists on medical trips and
volunteers.
Accessibility
Weblink
Check out this website for the latest
information on cruising from the PSA.
www.the-psa.co.uk
A long-haul travel destination needs to have excellent
transport links if it is to be successful in attracting
visitors and developing a prosperous tourism sector.
Travellers look for fast, comfortable, convenient, safe
and economical ways to reach their destinations,
whether on holiday, business or visiting friends and
relatives. The development of an airport or increase
in the number of fl ights to a long-haul destination will
have a direct impact on the number of inbound visitors.
Brazil is a good example of this - tourist numbers from
the UK to the country's resorts have grown dramatically
since TUI Thomson began offering charter fl ights and
package holidays in 2004. The growth in tourism to the
Gambia has followed a similar pattern.
There are a number of factors that travellers take into
account when choosing which type of travel to use to
reach long-haul destinations, including:
•
Availability and frequency of services - this may be
an important consideration for people who make
a lot of journeys to the same destination, or who
may be unsure of their exact time of departure or
arrival. Not surprisingly, the most popular long-
haul destinations tend to have the best availability
and frequency of travel services, to meet customer
demand, e.g. fl ights to New York and Florida;
The great majority of tourists to long-haul travel
destinations arrive by air, given the long distances
involved. Developments in aircraft technology mean
that aircraft can now fl y for longer before needing to
refuel, thereby reducing travel times to destinations
•
Travelling time - this can be an important factor
for people who need to reach their destination as
