INTRODUCTION
Whether by land or by sea, humans have always sought to traverse the earth and move to new
locations. The evolution of transportation has brought us from simple canoes to space travel, and
there's no telling where we could go next and how we will get there. The following is a brief history of
transportation, dating from the first vehicles 900,000 years ago to modern-day times.
Transport is one of the essential components of tourism activities. The relationship between transport
and tourism development is very important because it contributes significantly in the development of
tourism. It overcomes the physical social and economic development of human beings. It overcomes
the physical constraints of distance and meets the human needs for movement over the space. It
provides a link between the origin and destination of tourism. The movement of human beings at
national and international level is taking place because of various means of transport. Millions of
tourists are being transported safely, quickly and comfortably to their destinations at a reasonable
cost. In fact, transport and its associated infrastructure have facilitated human mobility on large
scale.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Discuss the meaning of transportation
• Know the importance of the evolution of transportation
• Identify different modes of transport
• Determine the advantage and disadvantages of different modes of transportation
• Know the means and mode to transportation
• Explain the linkages between transport and tourism

TRANSPORTATION
The term transport is derived from the Latin word trans meaning
across a port. Thus, the movement of people or goods from one place to
another by a means of transport is called transportation. Each tourist has to
move from place to place and needs transportation for his or her
movement. Transport helps people to move from tourist generating area to
tourist destination area. There are different modes of transport like road
transport, rail transport, water transport and air transport. In earlier times
road transport was more popular than railways or waterways.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Early boats
The first mode of transportation was created in the effort
to traverse water: boats. Those who colonized Australia
roughly 60,000–40,000 years ago have been credited
as the first people to cross the sea, though there is
some evidence that seafaring trips were carried out as
far back as 900,000 years ago.
The earliest known boats were simple logboats, also
referred to as dugouts, which were made by hollowing
out a tree trunk. Evidence for these floating vehicles
comes from artifacts that date back to around 10,000–
7,000 years ago.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Horses and wheeled vehicles
It was also roughly around this period that the wheel was
invented. Archaeological records show that the first
wheeled vehicles were in use around 3500 BCE, with
evidence of the existence of such contraptions found in
mesopotamia, the northern caucuses, and central Europe.
The earliest well-dated artifact from that time period is the
"bronocice pot," a ceramic vase that depicts a four-
wheeled wagon that featured two axles. It was unearthed
in southern Poland.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Horses and wheeled vehicles
Based on changes in teeth records,
butchering activities, shifts in settlement
patterns, and historic depictions, experts
believe that domestication took place
around 4000 BCE. Genetic evidence from
horses, including changes in musculature
and cognitive function, support this.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Steam engines
In 1769, the watt steam engine changed
everything. Boats were among the first to take
advantage of steam-generated power; in 1783, a
French inventor by the name of Claude de
Jouffroy built the "pyroscaphe," the world’s first
steamship. But despite successfully making trips
up and down the river and carrying passengers
as part of a demonstration, there wasn’t enough
interest to fund further development.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Steam engines
Back in 1769, another Frenchman named
Nicolas Joseph Cugnot attempted to adapt
steam engine technology to a road vehicle—the
result was the invention of the first automobile.
However, the heavy engine added so much
weight to the vehicle that it wasn't practical. It
had a top speed of 2.5 miles per hour.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Steam engines
While other inventors tried to make steamships that were
practical enough for mass transport, it was American
Robert Fulton who furthered the technology to where it
was commercially viable. In 1807, the Clermont completed
a 150-mile trip from New York City to Albany that took 32
hours, with the average speed clocking in at about five
miles per hour. Within a few years, Fulton and company
would offer regular passenger and freight service between
New Orleans, Louisiana, and Natchez, Mississippi.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Steam engines
Another effort to repurpose the steam engine for
a different means of personal transport resulted
in the "roper steam velocipede." Developed in
1867, the two-wheeled steam-powered bicycle is
considered by many historians to be the world’s
first motorcycle.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Locomotives
One mode of land transport powered by a steam engine
that did go mainstream was the locomotive. In 1801,
British inventor Richard Trevithick unveiled the world’s first
road locomotive—called the “puffing devil”—and used it to
give six passengers a ride to a nearby village. It was three
years later that Trevithick first demonstrated a locomotive
that ran on rails, and another one that hauled 10 tons of
iron to the community of Penydarren, wales, to a small
village called Abercynon.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Locomotives
It took a fellow brit—a civil and mechanical engineer
named George Stephenson—to turn locomotives into
a form of mass transport. In 1812, Matthew Murray of
Holbeck designed and built the first commercially
successful steam locomotive, “the Salamanca,” and
Stephenson wanted to take the technology a step
further. So in 1814, Stephenson designed the
"blücher," an eight-wagon locomotive capable of
hauling 30 tons of coal uphill at a speed of four miles
per hour.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Locomotives
By 1824, Stephenson improved the efficiency of his
locomotive designs to where he was commissioned by the
Stockton and Darlington railway to build the first steam
locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line, the
aptly named "locomotion no. 1." Six years later, he opened
the Liverpool and Manchester railway, the first public inter-
city railway line serviced by steam locomotives. His
notable accomplishments also include establishing the
standard for rail spacing for most of the railways in use
today. No wonder he’s been hailed as "father of railways."

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Submarines
The first navigable submarine was invented in
1620 by dutchman Cornelis Drebbel. Built for the
English royal navy, Drebbel’s submarine could
stay submerged for up to three hours and was
propelled by oars.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Submarines
There were important milestones such as the
launch of the hand-powered, egg-shaped "turtle"
in 1776, the first military submarine used in
combat. There was also the French navy
submarine "plongeur," the first mechanically
powered submarine.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Submarines
In 1888, Spanish navy launched the “Peral," the first
electric, battery-powered submarine, which also so
happened to be the first fully capable military submarine.
Built by a Spanish engineer and sailor named Isaac Peral,
it was equipped with a torpedo tube, two torpedoes, an air
regeneration system, and the first fully reliable underwater
navigation system, and it posted an underwater speed of
3.5 miles per hour.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Aircraft
The start of the twentieth century was truly the
dawn of a new era in the history of
transportation as two American brothers,
Orville and Wilbur Wright, pulled off the first
official powered flight in 1903. In essence, they
invented the world’s first airplane.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Aircraft
In 1919, British aviators John Alcock and
Arthur Brown completed the first transatlantic
flight, crossing from Canada to Ireland. The
same year, passengers were able to fly
internationally for the first time.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Aircraft
French inventor Paul Cornu started developing
a rotorcraft. And on November 13, 1907, his
“Cornu" helicopter, made of little more than
some tubing, an engine, and rotary wings,
achieved a lift height of about one foot while
staying airborne for about 20 seconds.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Spacecraft and the space race
The soviet union surprised much of the
western world in 1957 with its successful
launch of sputnik, the first satellite to reach
outer space.
Four years later, the Russians followed that by
sending the first human, pilot Yuri Gagaran,
into outer space aboard the Vostok 1.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION
Spacecraft and the space race
On July 20, 1969, the lunar module of the Apollo
spacecraft, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin, touched down on the surface of the moon.
The event, which was broadcast on live tv to the rest of
the world, allowed millions to witness the moment
Armstrong became the first man to ever step foot on the
moon, a moment he heralded as “one small step for
man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The evolution of transportation, just like the evolution of
humankind, has gone through trials and tribulations as it has
evolved through time.
The history of transport is largely one of technological
innovation. Advances in technology have allowed people to
travel farther, explore more territory, and expand their influence
over larger and larger areas.

THE VARIOUS MODE OF TRANSPORT CAN BE BROADLY DIVIDED INTO THE
FOLLOWING THREE CATEGORIES:

Air Transport
The development of air transport mostly occurred after World War I and II. Commercial airlines
were created for travelers. Because of increasing air traffic, the commercial sector grows rapidly.
Before the World War II, Swissair already was carrying around 14-16 passenger between Zurich
to London.

The first commercial service was introduced by KLM,
the Dutch Airlines, in 1920 between Amsterdam and
London.
1958 Pan American introduced the Boeing 707 services
between Paris and New York. Due to the introduction of jet
flights, the year 1959 onward saw a tremendous increase in air
traffic.

The modern era, thus, is the era of mass air travel. After road transport, air travel is the most popular mode
of travel, particularly for international travel. For the business travelers, air transport is more convenient as it
saves their precious time and offers a luxurious and hassle-free travel.

THERE TWO TYPES OF AIRLINES. THESE ARE FOLLOWING AS:
A scheduled flight means the air carrier sells single seats to
individuals until the aircraft is full. A scheduled service
operator offers flights on a regular basis be it hourly, daily,
or monthly schedules. The departure times are fixed and so
is the routing. Flight details are very static and standard.
A charter flight does not follow a schedule set by the air carrier. The
customer sets the schedule to meet their needs. Essentially a charter is
when a person or a company rents an entire aircraft for a very particular
purpose. The departure times and final destinations are set as per the
individual agreement between the hirer and the aircraft company.

Airlines are classified into two broad categories namely small
carrier and large carrier. The small carrier also known as
commuter airlines have less than 30 seats. The larger carriers,
also known as major airlines fly direct routes between the
major cities and seat and seat 100 to 800 passengers.

Road Transport
The most popular and widely used mode of road travel is the automobile or the car.
Road transport is dominated by the automobile, which provides views of the
landscape and the freedom to travel. Tourist often travels with their entire family for
holidays.
To promote tourism, the vehicle required are coaches and tourist cars. Tourist
coaches or buses are preferred for large tourist groups traveling together on a
specified tour itinerary. Many tourists prefer to travel in comfort and privacy and hire
cars. Cars of various makes and standards are available on a rental basis.

Rail Transport
The railway is the most economical, convenient, and popular mode of travel especially for
long distance travel all over the world.
The broad gauge lines account for more than 55 percent of the total network and carry 85
percent of total traffic. The steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines
which have helped in increasing the speed. Railways have promoted tourism by introducing a
special tourist train.

In Europe, the railway systems of six European countries have been clubbed to make rail travel easier
for the people of Europe. A rail passenger can buy a ticket in any one country of Europe and travel
through six countries. For the foreign tourists, Eurail Passes offer unlimited discounts travel in express
trains for periods ranging from a week to three months.

In the USA, AMTRAK operates trains. With more than 30 train routes throughout the United States, and
some in Canada, Amtrak travels to over 500 destinations in 46 states, giving you the best views North
America has to offer. Whether you want to visit big cities, small towns or places you can only see by rail.

Water Transport
Travel by ship was the only means for traveling overseas until the middle of the twentieth century.
The Cunard Steamship Company was formed in 1838 with regular steamship services operating
on the North Atlantic. During the World War I, in 1914 the operations of the steamship company had
to be suspended. After the World War I, the steamship luxury liners were back to business till World
War II.

Water transportation is also used in riverboat travel. The Mississippi River has been a popular
tourist river since the first settlers came to the USA. Today, tourists enjoy two or three-day luxury
trips along the river. In Europe, the Rhine, winding through the grapes growing areas of
Germany, offers similar leisure tourist trips.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF VARIOUS MODES OF TRANSPORT
Modes of Transportation Advantages Disadvantages
Road Transportation • The velocity of delivery is high in the
case of short distances.
• The door-to-door service is best for this
mode of transportation.
• Emissions of noise pollution and
toxic materials.
• Possible traffic delays.
Rail Transportation • Carrying capacity is pretty high.
• The rapid speed of delivery.
• There is a strict and restricted
timetable and routes.
• Expensive cost for constructing
and maintenance.
Water Transportation • It has a high carrying capacity.
• Cost-effective for heavy and bulky goods.
• It uses a high time for shipment.
• The risk of accidents is pretty
huge as the ship/boat could sink
any time.
Air Transportation • It has high speed.
• There is no physical barrier to this mode
of transportation.
• It is the most costly out of all
other modes of transportation.
• It needs trained individuals for a
successful flight.

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. 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 with also
attracted the elite that could afford the large expenses and
the time required to travel to other remote destinations.

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.

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 infrastructures. 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.

MODES AND MODES OF TRANSPORTATION
Car traveling is usually an independent
transport conveyance where the traveller
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.

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.
MODES AND MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

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.
MODES AND MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

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.
MODES AND MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

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.
MODES AND MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

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.

LINKAGES BETWEEN TRANSPORT AND TOURISM
Tourism plays a key role in the socio-economic and cultural progress through
creation of jobs, enterprise and infrastructure and revenue earnings. Tourism
certainly requires an integrated development of basic infrastructural
components, and transport is one of them. Transport occupies a key position in
tourism sector and it is an important driver for socio-economic progress. It plays
an important role as it would be impossible for tourists to visit many tourist sites
without it. It provides an essential link between points of origin to its destination
areas.

Transportation as An Attraction
To attract customers as well as take them around an attraction, destination developers have
used many forms of transport to move people around. These novel modes of transport
ensure that major exhibits are viewed in a certain sequence and ensure that the crowd
moves through at a reliable pace.
Transportation is the most crucial component of the tourism infrastructure. It is required not
only for reaching the destination but also visiting the site and moving about at the
destination. Variety in modes of transportation adds color to the overall tourism experience.

Unusual forms of transportation are also an
attraction such as the cable cars in hilly terrain, the
funicular railway, or jet boating. The choice of mode
of transport is vast and tourists can choose a mode
to suit their budget. They can opt for scheduled or
non-scheduled transport such as the hiring of
vehicles, boats, coaches or trains so that they can
travel with their group.