ABSTRACT
In Chapter 4, the role of surface transport highlighted the fundamental link between tourism and transport in a number of different contexts. One of the underlying themes was how transport (the industry) is linked to the tourist (the consumer), which in simple terms raises a fundamental question: how are these two elements managed so that consumer needs are met? This returns to many of the issues initially developed in Chapter 1 on the role of tourism management and who should manage such issues. This chapter addresses these issues by focusing on the aviation sector, since it has seen the greatest volume growth in passengers of all forms of transport (excluding car usage and ownership). It is focused on a complex transport system upon which the tourist experiences directly impact. This is shaped from the point they enter an airport through to the point they get off their aircraft at the destination, a process that is repeated on the return journey. In other words, the management of the tourist by the airline industry reveals an integrated transport system, which can largely be defined as:
the process whereby individual (and groups of) airlines seek to organize, direct and harness their resources, personnel and their business activities to meet the needs of their organization and customers in an effective and efficient manner.
