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Recent Developments in Travel and Tourism - Activity

This Activity requires you to work in small groups to investigate recent developments in the travel and tourism industry. Each group will work on one theme from the following five areas:

  • Road transport
  • Air travel
  • Rail modernisation
  • Sea travel
  • E-tailing

At the end of the Activity, you will be asked to take part in a whole group discussion of your findings. Finally, each small group will be required to hand out to all others in the class a word processed account of your research findings.

Group Tasks:

A traffic jam on the A3, 1979 Road transport
Your group is interested in recent developments in the area of road transport. One of the key government aims is to promote 'joined-up thinking' in transport provision. Your task is to find out a little more on what this means:
  • How do transport firms provide 'joined-up' bus and train services?
  • Find examples of car-to-bus, rail-to-bus and rail-to-bicycle services.
  • How can firms ensure that this kind of integration happens more often?
  • What can government do to help?
  • What do you think will be the main developments for road transport in the future?
Image: A traffic jam on the A3 near Kingston in 1979 - have 'joined-up' schemes reduced the frequency of such sights in recent years? Title: Traffic Jam. Copyright: Getty Images, available from Education Image Gallery.

An easyJet airliner Air travel
Your group's area of interest is in air travel. Your task is to:
  • Research into the growth of the 'no frills' airlines.
  • Find out about how they can offer the low fares that you see advertised. Use the Biz/ed 'At your Leisure' feature on budget airlines (http://www.bized.co.uk/current/leisure/2003_4/010304.htm)
Now try to put yourself in the position of the other airlines:
  • What can established firms like BA or KLM do to counter the threat from the budget operators?
  • What do you think will be the main developments for air travel in the future?
Image: easyJet passenger numbers have risen by at least 650 times since the airline's launch in 1995. Copyright: easyJet airline company limited.

A eurostar train Rail modernisation
Your group is interested in the modernisation of the railways. Your task is to find out more about the Cross Channel Rail Link (CTRL). Write a list of pros and cons for the project, bearing in mind the following:
  • The impact on the environment.
  • The likely boost to the local economy.
  • The likely boost to the national economy.
  • The ability of the railways to compete effectively with other transport providers for business from leisure travel customers.
What do you think will be the main developments for rail travel in the future?

Image: A eurostar train. With the completion of the CTRL, the journey time from London to Paris will be just 2 hours, 15 minutes. Title: Eurostar Services London, Brussels and Paris. Copyright: Getty Images, available from Education Image Gallery.

The Carnival Glory cruise ship Sea travel
Your group wants to know more about sea travel. You have noted that there are greater numbers of people buying cruise holidays. Use the Passenger Shipping Association Web site (http://www.discover-cruises.co.uk) to find other evidence of the expansion of the industry. Things to look out for are as follows:
  • Numbers of ships in construction.
  • The size of the ships being built.
  • The types of facilities provided on board.
  • The numbers of staff required and the skills needed.
What do you think will be the main developments in sea travel in the future?

Image: The new Carnival Glory cruise ship in July 2003 - this 952-foot liner is to be the largest ship sailing weekly Caribbean cruises from Central Florida. Title: Carnival Glory Arrives. Copyright: Getty Images, available from Education Image Gallery.

lastminute.com's Web site E-tailing
Your group's area of interest is the Internet and its impact on selling travel and tourism products and services. Your task is to look into the growth of Web sites offering these products. Go to the Deloitte Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure Executive Report (outlined in the Presentation) (http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/UK_TTL_%20January%202004.pdf) and find out the following:
  • Reasons for the growth of Web use in buying and selling travel and tourism products.
  • Some of the key Web sites selling these products.
  • Whether the Web site is run by a travel agent, tour operator, or specialist Web company.
  • The value of some of these main Internet brands (for example, how much a company pays to take over an e-tailer).
What do you think will be the main developments in travel e-tailing in the future?

Image: lastminute.com - nearly £270 million worth of holidays were booked through the site between April and June 2004.