ABSTRACT
In Chapter 5, 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 regarding the role of tourism management, and
who should manage such issues. This chapter addresses these issues by focusing on
the aviation sector, which has seen the greatest growth in volume of passengers of
all forms of transport excluding cars. It focuses on a complex transport system that
has a direct impact upon tourist experiences. This is shaped from the point they
enter an airport through to the point when they disembark 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 (Page, 2002: 209):
. . . 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.
