The Development of the Travel and Tourism Industry and the Factors Affecting it Today

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The Development of the Travel and Tourism Industry and the Factors affecting it Today

Contents

The development of the travel and tourism industry Page 3-4

Factors that have led to the growth in travel and tourism Page 4-6

Future developments in travel and tourism Page 6-7

Factors affecting the travel and tourism industry today Page 8-9

Bibliography Page 10

The Development of the Travel and Tourism Industry

Throughout history, people have travelled across Britain for purposes of trade, education, religion and to fight in battles. It was not until the eighteenth century, however, that the foundations of what we now regard as the British tourist industry began to be laid.

Key Milestones in the Development of the UKtravel and tourism

DATE

MILESTONE

1936

Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp in Skegness

1938

Holidays with Pay Act introduced

1946

Fred Pontin opens his first holiday near Weston Super Mare

1950

First package air holiday organised by Horizon

1952

First Jet Airline passenger service

1959

First Jet Airline passenger service to Australia

1960

Number of domestic holidays taken exceeds 30 million for the first time and number of foreign holidays rises to 3.5 million

Early

1960's

First global distribution systems developed by American Airlines

1968

Countryside Act passed to create national parks

1969

Development of Tourism Act introduced

1976

Concorde goes into service

1981

60 per cent of households in the UK have regular use of at least one car

1983

77% of British Workers have 4/5 weeks holiday a year

1987

Number of holidays abroad exceeds 20 million for the first time, whilst domestic holidays fall 28.5 million the lowest number since

1955

1989

Private car ownership reaches 20 million

1992

EU Directive on package holidays

1992

Department of National Heritage created now known as the Department of Media, Culture and Sport

1995

Le shuttle and Eurostar carry first passengers through the Channel Tunnel

1997

70 per cent of all households in the UK have regular use of at least one car

1998

Number of holidays abroad exceeds 30 million

1998

An estimated 1.4 million people have purchased travel tickets on the internet

1999

The English Tourism Council replaced the English Tourist Board

2001

EasyJet a No-Frills airline reports 71.6 million profit carrying 11.4 million passengers

2002

Three in ten packages holidaymakers have flown with a no-frills airline

2003

English Tourism Council and British Tourist Authority merge to become

Visit Britain

Factors that have led to the growth in travel and tourism

The end of the Second World War in 1945 was a watershed in the history of the world, also in the development of the travel and tourism industry. The industry has grown rapidly since the 1950s, including:

* Changing socio-economic circumstances: increasing car ownership, more leisure time and higher income levels have allowed people to travel more often, particularly on overseas holidays.

* Developments in technology: developments in jet aircraft and computer technology have contributed to the growth in domestic and international travel and tourism.

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* Product development and innovation: the development of seaside resorts, introduction of holiday camps, package holidays, long-haul destinations and all weather attractions have all been introduced to meet growing demand for travel and tourism products and services.

* Changing consumer needs, expectations and fashions: through exposures to television and other mass media, people are looking for more opportunities to travel in the UK and overseas.

The rise of seaside resorts

In 1752 Dr Richard Russell published Concerning the Use of Sea Water which led to an increase in seaside resorts as doctors began to ...

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