Transport problems @ tourist destination

Transport problems @ tourist destinations – case study of Alton Towers : 

Transport problems @ tourist destinations – case study of Alton Towers By Habteab Kidane & Alex Parry

Slide 2: 

Background: Transport is acknowledged as one of the most significant factors to have controlled the international development of tourism. Transport provides an essential link between tourism origin and destination areas and facilities : the movement of holiday makers, business travellers, people visiting friends and relatives , and those undertaking educational and health tourism.

Classification of tourist tourism : 

Classification of tourist tourism Land Air Tourist Transport Water Mode of Transport

Current Figures about tourism : 

Current Figures about tourism (Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Slide 5: 

National UK visitors 2007 - 2009 Source : Office for national statistics (ONS)

Alton Towers : 

Alton Towers Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in the grounds of a former stately home in Staffordshire, England. It attracted 3.1 million visitors in 2008, making it the second most visited theme park in the UK after Pleasure Beach Blackpool. Alton Towers is the 11th most visited theme park in Europe. It is based north of the village of Alton in Staffordshire (approximately 16 miles (26 km) east of Stoke-on-Trent), in the grounds of a semi-ruined gothic revival country house of the same name, the former seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury.

Slide 7: 

What areas of the country do visitors to the Alton Towers Resort travel from?

Map of Alton Towers (Source: Google map) : 

Map of Alton Towers (Source: Google map)

3.Accessibility : 

3.Accessibility Hall (2004) defined , ‘accessibility’ – the ability of people to reach and take part in activities normal for their society. Accessibility planning is now a statutory requirement of local authorities in England and Wales in preparation of their Local Transport Plans (LTPs) (Knowles, et al., 2008).

Slide 10: 

Accessibility is a key issue for Staffordshire with a strong emphasis on tackling social exclusion. Improving accessibility, particularly for people from disadvantaged groups and areas, will help to reduce social exclusion by giving better access to services such as health, employment and education. A Local Transport Plan is being prepared jointly with the Staffordshire County Council covering the North Staffordshire conurbation which comprises the administrative areas of Stoke-on-Trent, urban Newcastleunder- Lyme and parts of the adjoining Staffordshire Moorlands Alton Towers is difficult to get to by public transport. (See Tables below)

Leek - Cheddleton - Kingsley - Cheadle - Alton Towers : 

Leek - Cheddleton - Kingsley - Cheadle - Alton Towers

Slide 16: 

4. Environmental Issues and sustainability Peeters, et al.,(2007) state that ‘ the environmental impacts considered (climate change, air quality, noise and nature/ landscape), climate change generates more than half of the externalities of tourist transport .’ Tourism is one of the major carbon dioxide-emitting activities that are still growing, and growing rapidly, as the earlier statistics suggested. It represents the production of 4–6% of all greenhouse gases (GHGs), 80% of which is derived from transport activities (Hall,2004).

Slide 17: 

Noise Those preparing LTP2s should consider how their policies and proposals could reduce existing sources of noise nuisance and minimise any adverse noise impacts of new proposals. Noise nuisance is known to cause stress, poor sleep patterns and mild psychiatric illness in some people. In parts of Staffordshire, night time noise is an increasing concern as more goods are moved through the County on the motorway network on a 24-hour basis.

Slide 18: 

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases LTP2s should incorporate the UK 's CO2 targets and should complement the wider aims of Local Agenda 21. The measure to reduce traffic volume outlined in the Traffic and Congestion Strategy will help to limit future increases in CO2 emissions in Staffordshire. Since greenhouse gas emissions are known to have a positive correlation to traffic volume and speed, measures to reduce both of these variables are therefore important in the context of the LTP2 policies.(The Second Local Transport Plan, 2006 ).

Conclusion : 

Conclusion Alton Towers is a unique economic catalyst for Staffordshire.