Corso di geografia turistica

Unit B1

p.61

• The advent of low cost flights, starting in the 1990s, also made the aeroplane accessible in Europe to those who previously could not afford this means of transport due to high ticket costs.
• It has also increased the number of trips to short and medium-haul tourism destinations (European capitals and cities of art).
• Many regional airports, that have been excluded from the main routes, have been upgraded to accommodate the traffic generated by low cost airlines. Areas adjacent to these small airports have benefited from the sudden increase in traffic that has created a positive impact on the surrounding areas, and attracted tourism flows to many minor cities, previously ignored by the traditional tour operators.
• The winning formula for the low cost companies is based on strong cost efficiency (lower landing taxes, optimisation of the fleet and staff), together with a very simplified offer (no additional services, no passengers through travel agencies, minimal use of shuttle buses).

Unit B2

p.67

• Following a decline experienced in the nineteenth century, the train has returned to being considered as a key urban means of transport that also resolves problems linked to increasing road traffic congestion.
• The provision of increasingly fast and comfortable rail services culminated with the introduction of high speed trains, which are nearly as competitive as air transport. Today, Europe boasts 60% of global high-speed railway lines, whose creation has led to profound changes in the urban, economic and social fabric.
• Indeed, places that were traditionally on the edges of the great economic flows have seized the opportunities offered by high speed rail to launch urban redevelopment programmes that have changed the face of their cities, turning them into business, shopping and tourist districts of primary importance, while improving the livability of the residents.
• Lyon, Lille, Cologne and Rotterdam are just some examples of a redesigned reality thanks to high speed rail: they have become such powerful magnets that they even extend their ability to attract to the surrounding territory.

Unit B3

p.71

• Thanks to a policy that has placed the issues of transport at the centre of its plans, Spain now boasts an efficient and safe transport network.
• Airports of primary importance for traffic load, a modernised motorway network that has been made more efficient by the introduction of the so-called dynamic lane, and an extended network of punctual and secure high speed trains mark Spain out as a leader on the European scene.
• The picture is completed with the great attention given to the environment and to the reduction of pollution due to means of transport. A concrete example is given by the creation of vias verdes (green routes): bike lanes that stretch for over 16,000 km along the routes of disused railways: equipped with refreshment facilities, information centres and hostels.

Unit B4

p.77

• Up to the 1960s, ships were used as the main means of transportation between the opposite sides of the Atlantic; they were designed to be as fast as possible and not for the purpose of tourism.
• Starting in the 1950s, a fall in the numbers of migrants to the Americas and, especially, the spread of intercontinental scheduled flights brought about a crisis in sea travel and forced owners into a rethink of how to use their ships.
• Since the 1970s, shipping companies have been promoting the idea of cruising as a fun and relaxing holiday for everyone, not just for seniors but also for young people and families.
• The vessels were then redesigned and reorganised with ample space dedicated to entertainment and fitness, shopping and sports activities, and ended up being not just a mere means of transport but real tourism destinations.
• Today, cruises are promoted as original holidays with a taste of glamour, which combine fun and relaxation with art and culture at favourable prices, thanks to numerous excursions ashore in cities of art, grand capitals and exotic locations.
• The success of this type of vacation, which also encompasses river cruises, has revived the European shipbuilding sector.

Unit B5

p.81

• Digital progress has placed at the disposal of communication and tourism new tools that go beyond the use of the Internet and Web 2.0 technologies: we are talking about digital signage and augmented reality.
• Digital signage, achieved by the provision of multimedia kiosks in strategic places, such as lobbies of hotels, stations, airports and shopping centres, enables fast and timely communication. For tourism, it is the ideal medium for making information available to travellers in real time.
• Augmented reality technology allows the representation of an enhanced world (=augmented) in which virtual graphics, sound or text content can be added to the perceived reality.
• This technology, when applied to tourism, enables monuments and sites to be represented in 3D and can show the changes experienced by the buildings over time. It is currently used for this purpose in museums and at historic sites.
• Augmented reality has interesting smartphone applications through which, by integrating a setting, it is possible to receive information about what is being looked at (fares, timetables, routes).