Experience in the use of air transport in tourism. Air transport in tourism The role and place of transport services in the tourism market

11.1. The role and place of transport services in the tourism market

Transport is one of the most important components of the material base of the economy of any country. Since ancient times, transport has been the engine of progress. Man used any means at hand to transport people and goods. With the invention of the wheel, and a little later, various types of engines, a person began to develop vehicles, respectively: wagons, carriages, steamboats, steam locomotives, airplanes, etc. This made it possible to travel long distances and for various purposes

Currently, transport is one of the most important components of the economy of the state, both developing and with a highly developed economic and social base. Transport ensures the normal functioning of the economy, increases the efficiency of social production, creates conditions for the rational distribution of production forces throughout the country, taking into account the most appropriate approximation of enterprises in various sectors of the economy to sources of raw materials and areas of consumption of products, specialization and cooperation of production, allows the development of industries such as trade , agriculture and others. Transport is a leading factor in the development of tourism

The role of transport is great in solving social problems, ensuring business, cultural and tourist trips of the population, developing cultural exchange within the country and abroad.

Transport ensures the development of international economic relations, contributing to the mutually beneficial exchange between different countries

Historically, the formation of transport systems of various states was influenced by their geographical location, natural potential, and often climatic and landscape characteristics. This led to the formation of those transport and technical bases that are most rationally used in the conditions of a particular region and state.

For example, it is more profitable to develop the structure of railway transport in regions with predominantly plains, and the river transport structure in the presence of a system of rivers and lakes, as in Austria, Germany, Russia, Finland and Canada

The seas and oceans, as the most convenient and accessible ways for people to move, have contributed to close and long-distance travel since ancient times, and rivers, canals and lakes -
tourism

For the first time, the English pastor Thomas Cook, from whom the history of modern tourist traffic is counted, organized a railway trip from Liverpool to London. Then in 1843 he organized boat trips on the Thames. Almost at the same time, on the American continent, on the legendary paddle steamer Mississippi, the American Express company opened regular excursions along the Mississippi. Similar cruises began to be made along the Nile, Rhine, Danube

The development of transport as an integral part of the infrastructure is constantly paid great attention to by the governments of almost all countries of the world.

In the XX century. a powerful transport system was created in Russia. The length of the communication network of all types of transport is currently about 5 million km.

With the development of tourism, transport routes will constantly expand, as an increase in travel demand has a positive impact on the development of transport infrastructure. Transport, in turn, allows you to expand the geography of travel. There is a useful and beneficial interaction between the two parties.

Transport services are one of the main types of services in tourism. They account for the main share in the price structure of the tour. Depending on the duration and distance of travel, this share (in most cases) ranges from 20 to 60%

Various modes of transport are used by tourism organizations to transport tourists during their travels.

The main share in the overall structure of transport services belongs to air transport. The largest number of tourists, especially those traveling long distances, use aviation services. At the same time, the aircraft can, figuratively speaking, be called the transport of individuals. The most massive flows of tourists traveling for resort, business, entertainment, and educational purposes are individual tourists. And it is they who most often use air transport.

Road transport can rightfully be called a transport of general use, since it is used everywhere: from transfers and excursions, inter-route transportation by buses to the rental of small cars by tourists for personal use on vacation. Buses and cars & nbsp local and intra-regional transport. Bus sightseeing tours with visits to several cities and places of interest are especially popular. It is convenient for tourists that they can travel along the route and within the city on their own transport. True, there are difficulties with parking in many cities of Europe and Russia.

The main competitor of buses in group transportation is the railway. Within our country, it has some priority over air transportation (on group domestic routes). The advantage of rail transport is also lower tariffs and (in foreign countries) an extensive system of discounts, tickets, etc., allowing travel at significantly lower prices. However, neither bus nor rail transport competes with aviation over long distances.

Water transport, river and sea, in themselves already evoke the image of a tourist-cruise service and are used quite actively in tourism. Water travel has a number of both advantages and disadvantages compared to other modes of transport. The most significant advantages are a high level of comfort, a large volume of one-time loading, the possibility of implementing various types and purposes of tourism (cognitive, business tourism, educational, shop tourism, etc.), good rest, a full range of life support. The main disadvantages are the low speed of movement of vehicles, high tariffs, limited mobility, and often the exposure of some people to "seasickness" on sea cruises.

11.2. Air transport in tourist traffic

According to statistics, the growth rate of the popularity of air transport is higher than that of road transport, which is due to the increasing expansion of the geography of travel and the existing steady trend to reduce travel time in favor of their frequency (growth of short-term long-distance tours). All this causes close attention of the tourist business to air transportation. Airplanes are the most popular mode of transport in the world. The same can be said about air travel in tourism. And there are a number of reasons for this:

Firstly, aviation is the fastest and most convenient mode of transport when traveling over long distances;
- secondly, the service on flights currently has an attractive appearance for tourists;
- thirdly, airline companies directly and through international booking and reservation networks pay commissions to travel agencies for each seat booked on the plane, thereby motivating them to choose air transportation

Air transport is one of the fastest and most dynamically developing sectors of the world economy and every year it occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system.

Now there are more than 1300 airlines in the world. On average, about 1.5 billion people are transported on flights annually. Over 470 carriers now provide international air services, about 250 of them operate international regular flights. More than 1 thousand airports of the world participate in servicing international air communications, about 650 of them serve international scheduled air transportation

The largest airlines in the world in terms of the number of flights are the American Delta Air lines, Pan Amerikan, United, the French Air France, the German Lufthansa, the British British Airways, and others. The Russian Aeroflot is considered a major airline.

However, the international air transport system is made up not only by international air carriers and airports, but also by states connected by international air lines and providing these communications, as well as international organizations in the field of air transport, taking measures to ensure its effective functioning and safety.

The network of international transportation currently covers all geographic regions and more than 150 countries of the world

Air transport is regulated in three ways:

1) national regulation - licensing of air carriers operating both on domestic and international routes;
2) intergovernmental regulation - when regular air routes are based on agreements between the governments of the respective countries;
3) international regulation - when tariffs for scheduled flights are set (for airline members) on the basis of mutual agreements between participating airlines through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) or a third party

One type of international air travel regulation is plans to create a pool that connects airlines operating on certain international routes.

A pool agreement connects airlines operating on the same international routes in order to optimize aircraft schedules, reduce the direction and regulate passenger flows during peak hours and periods, as well as in order to increase profits on these routes and its further distribution between airlines

A pool agreement could in principle lead to the elimination of competition along the route. But it also means that companies of all sizes will be able to participate in transportation on the lines. Pool agreements are often entered into between airlines of disparate size in order to provide them with the best possible transportation opportunities and profits. Financing agreements between pooled carriers typically cap the maximum amount of revenue that can be transferred from one carrier to another to reduce the government's ability to support inefficient carriers. In some countries, however, pool contracts are currently prohibited (for example, in the USA)

International regulation of air transportation is carried out on the basis of international agreements signed between countries over many years.

The Warsaw Convention of 1929 was the first general agreement between airlines concerning the issues of ensuring the responsibility of airlines for the safety of passengers in the event of their death, injury or loss of luggage during carriage. (The Montreal Protocol later determined that the maximum liability will be periodically reviewed due to inflationary processes. Today, the airline's liability to the passenger is a maximum of 20 thousand US dollars.) This agreement is the basis for insuring passengers, mail and baggage on international air transportation.

The Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation of 1944, in which 80 countries took part in the discussion on the adoption, contains an agreement on the standardization of air service migration procedures between countries. These principles were adopted to provide the basis for bilateral agreements between countries. The agreement stipulated not to regulate charter flights, allowing countries to apply individual regulation and conditions under which they accept and serve charter flights.

The Bermuda Agreement of 1946 Anglo-American on transatlantic flights regulated bilateral agreements on these routes. In 1977, the Bermuda Agreement was revised (and ratified in 1980), in 1986 the new agreement expanded the actual load on routes across the Atlantic, limited to two British and two American carriers

Since air transport occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system every year, the need for its global coordination and regulation has long arose. These issues are dealt with by international aviation organizations. Consider the most influential and famous of them.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one of the first most respected and authoritative world structures. ICAO members are 183 states. ICAO works closely with other organizations such as the United Nations Community, World Meteorological Organization, International Union of Electrical Communications, World Post Union, World Health Organization, International Sea Organization.

The International Association of Air Transportation - I ATA - was established to coordinate the actions of world airlines aimed at ensuring the safety and efficiency of air transport in all regions of the globe. Founded in 1919 and reorganized in 1945, IATA is the professional association of aviation companies operating international flights. The main function performed by the Association is the regulation of international commercial air traffic, the introduction of uniform rules and procedures for all members and the establishment of agreed tariffs for passenger transportation on international routes.

Travel agencies participate in the activities of IATA through its special branch - the International Travel Agents Network (IATAN), the International Organization of Airline Agents, as well as through international organizations of civil airports

As part of the organization of tourist travel, there are several forms of interaction between travel companies and airlines:

Reservation of seats and purchase of air tickets through airline agencies;
- reservation of seats and redemption of air tickets through booking systems;
- an agreement with the airline for a quota of seats on regular airlines;
- agency agreement and work as an agency for the sale of air tickets for their tourists;
- organization of charter flights for tourist transportation

In order to correctly choose the most convenient and profitable section of tourist transportation, as well as competently conclude a contract for air transportation of tourists, you need to know all the features, advantages and disadvantages of this or that type of interaction with the airline

The travel agent also needs to know the rules for booking air tickets, working with stocks, fares and discounts provided by airlines.

Requirements of professional ethics when booking air tickets. In order to avoid additional inconvenience for air carriers, as well as to facilitate the booking process and improve the quality of passenger service, travel agents should adhere to the following simple rules:

Follow standard airline booking procedures
- Never book a double booking for a passenger if he cannot decide which flight to take. Moreover, never issue two or more tickets for such a passenger if it is obvious that he will be able to use only one of them.
- Regardless of the passenger's itinerary, be sure to try, to the extent possible, to provide the airline with telephone numbers for emergency contact with the passenger along the way
- In the event of a change in itinerary by a passenger, immediately cancel the relevant booking with the airline, as well as refuse all other related services that are not required
- Strictly adhere to the deadlines and procedures required by air carriers for issuing tickets. Never issue tickets with a guaranteed seat until this guarantee has been confirmed by the respective airline.
- All seats booked with airlines must be accurately recorded and properly documented. The documents being drawn up and the copies remaining with the agent must contain an indication of the flight number, date and class of flight, the status (guaranteed / non-guaranteed seat) of each individual flight, the names and initials of passengers and their contact numbers or addresses. Report immediately in the prescribed form on receipt of all deposits

Always remember that the convenience of passengers and the normal operation of other agents and airlines depend on your efficiency, accuracy and courtesy.

Agreement on a quota of seats on regular flights. A seat quota, or otherwise a block of seats, can be either hard or soft. This affects the terms of the contract and special benefits and discounts. With a strict quota of places, the entire responsibility for the non-sale of block places lies with the travel company, regardless of the reason for the non-sale. The travel agency bears the financial losses. With a soft quota of places, the terms for the possible refusal of a travel company from a quota or part of a quota of places due to non-sale of tourist vouchers are set. These terms provide for the possibility of further sale of these seats by the airline itself or its other agents.

The contract with the airline for a quota of seats on regular flights includes:

Schedule of functioning of tours in the direction "there" and "back" with indication of destinations;
- number of tourists in each group (quota of seats);
- deadlines for filing applications and redemption of air tickets;
- deadlines for canceling tickets orders without withholding fines (soft block);
- types of fares for purchased tickets, preferential fares, conditions for granting preferential fares;
- discounts and benefits for the quota of seats;
- the procedure and terms for the return of purchased but unused tickets, liability arising from the terms of return (soft block).

Agency agreement with the airline. In principle, some airlines consider as their agents all travel companies that have an agreement with them for a quota of seats. However, in its purest form, an agency agreement is work with stocks, i.e. when a travel company gets the opportunity to independently act as an airline ticket sales agency (both for its tourists and just for sale), which simplifies and speeds up the procedures for booking and issuing travel passes documents. The travel company itself acts as the "ticket sales office" of the airline, that is, it issues tickets itself and has the appropriate computer equipment and the right to access the booking network of this airline (for example, Gabriel at Aeroflot). This type of work with air tickets is called "work with a stock of air tickets".

The airline, represented by this travel agency, has an additional point of sale (one of the conditions of the agency agreement is usually the preferential sale of tickets for this particular airline for tours)

The agency agreement with the airline provides for the following issues:

Who and under what conditions provides equipment for issuing air tickets, air ticket forms;
- training of personnel for the maintenance of this equipment;
- sales volumes are most often set individually - by the number of tickets per month (for example, at least 10/200 tickets per month) or by sales revenue (from 10 to 200 thousand US dollars or more in different airlines);
- limits of possible sales (regionally or by consumer segments);
- at what price tickets are sold - at the price of an airline or at the price of a travel agency (most often at the price of an airline);
- prices and tariffs for the sale of air tickets;
- terms of payment for air tickets & nbsp prepayment or payment as they are sold (for stock agents in some airlines, prepayment is set for groups of tourists);
- the amount of commission for the sale of air tickets (up to 9% of the fare sold);
- the timing and regularity of submission of airline reports, their form and the documentation required in the application (usually 1 or 2 times a month);
- the amount of bank guarantees in favor of the airline or IATA (from USD 20,000);
- Membership in IATA.

Charter (aircraft rental). When organizing charter air transportation, the customer determines the route with the airline, the obligations of the parties are negotiated with him, the compliance of the lease agreement with international rules is clarified, and the cost of the flight is determined. Then a special charter agreement is concluded, which stipulates:

Type (brand) of the aircraft;
- number of places for sale;
- the cost of renting an aircraft;
- itinerary indicating the airports of departure and arrival;
- duration of the contract (season, year, etc.);
- regularity of flights;
- the possibility and deadlines for the cancellation (cancellation) of the flight and the corresponding sanctions

The peculiarity of charters is that one full flight (the second and penultimate flights - the first return after the first arrival and the last one there before the last export) is carried out without tourists: on the last flight, the plane picks up the last tourists, but does not bring new ones, since it is no longer behind them. will return (i.e., for 10 tourist arrivals there are 11 flights). The formula N + 1 applies here. Thus, the largest number of flights during the period of the air charter program reduces the cost of a "drop-down" flight, and therefore reduces the transportation rate

It should be noted that it is realistic to organize 20 races per season (with weekly flights). However, a charter can be launched with a frequency of 2 times a week - then the number of flights per season increases to 40. This significantly reduces the tariff, but is not available for the absolute majority of travel companies. This explains the emergence of “intermediate” entrepreneurs in the tourist transportation market - wholesalers (wholesalers), consolidating large charters in their hands and distributing them in the future among smaller firms in the form of block charters (i.e., 10-30 seats ). As a rule, the tour operator-wholesaler sells blocks of seats on his charter according to three proven options: hard, soft and combined blocks of seats.

A soft block, in which the customer does not have any financial responsibility and has the right to completely or partially refuse their seats within a predetermined timeframe, is more convenient for the travel agent. However, if the refusal occurs later than the deadline, the customer will have to pay a fine. Usually, soft blocks are used quite rarely, since they are not always beneficial to the charter holder (be it an airline or a wholesaler tour operator).

The rigid block provides for strict contractual obligations on the terms of sale and payment. The customer makes an advance payment, the amount of which usually includes the sum of the cost of two paired flights. At the same time, tariffs for the implementation of a hard block are approximately 5-10% lower than for the implementation of a soft block. In addition, with a contract for a hard block, the operator and agent fix the price for the entire charter period, which gives the sellers a good opportunity to vary prices during the “high” period of the season and at the end of it.

The most common sale of seats on charter flights is the so-called combined method, which combines elements of the two above-mentioned options. The total number of places included in the block being sold is divided in a certain proportion into two parts: one of which is sold according to the "hard" system, and the other - according to the "soft" system.

Often, not one, but several tour operators act as the initiator of the charter program. At the same time, they agree in advance among themselves the conditions for organizing flights.

Normal relations with airlines when renting an aircraft provide for its payment in accordance with the contract with a mandatory balance sheet after each flight

Charter flights must not be in conflict with the requirements of the Warsaw International Convention on the obligations of the carrier to the passenger

When signing a charter agreement, the airline almost always puts the tour operator in tough conditions. First of all, the company requires an advance payment. Whatever its maximum size, the airline always insists that the first and last flights of the charter cycle be paid in advance. Thus, it insures itself and previously imported tourists against possible non-payments. Payment for flights is negotiated in advance and is made, as a rule, 7-10 days before the start of the flight. In case of late payment, according to the contract, the company has the right to impose penalties on the customer or terminate the existing contractual relationship with him

All rules of air transportation in our country are regulated by the Air Code of the Russian Federation of March 19, 1977, as well as a number of international agreements. The main body coordinating air transportation in Russia is the Federal Air Transport Service (FSVT)

There are currently 315 airlines operating in the air transportation market in Russia. Of these, 96 have licenses for regular flights and carry 99% of the total volume of air passengers.

Carriage volumes are unevenly distributed between airlines The eighteen largest airlines in Russia carry about 75% of passengers, and the aircraft of eight or nine "supergiants" ferry up to 50% of Russian travelers. 94 scheduled airlines serve approximately 23% of passengers. And the remaining 276 airlines, performing, as a rule, one-time flights, account for about 1% of passenger traffic.

Aeroflot remains the undisputed leader of the Russian aviation business. Aeroflot Russian International Airlines is the national flag carrier of Russia. The company, as a rule, has more than two times more customers than the second number - the production association Domodedovo Airlines

Recently, Russian airlines have begun to create aviation alliances. For example, in February 1998, two leading Russian airlines - Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines and Pulkovo - signed an agreement on a strategic aviation alliance. In the same year, Aeroflot signed cooperation agreements with Uzbekistan Airways and Armenian Airlines.

At the end of 1997, the Russian airline "Transaero" and the Uzbek national carrier "Uzbekiston Havo Iullari" announced the merger and coordination of their activities in the air transportation market. The new aviation association was named "CIS-alliance". Transaero also has code-sharing agreements with the Czech company CSA on the Moscow-Karlovy Vary route and with the Latvian Air Baltic on the Moscow-Riga route. In February 1999, Transaero and Krasnoyarsk Airlines signed an agreement on the joint operation of the routes Moscow - Krasnoyarsk, Moscow - Norilsk and Moscow - Krasnoyarsk - Vladivostok

11.3. Motor transport in tourism

Auto services used in tourist services include three main areas:

1) organization of bus trips;
2) organization of travel by personal transport of tourists;
3) car rental

Bus travel. International bus tourism is a relatively young type of tourism. The beginning of its development can be attributed to the 70s. 20th century Before that, in different countries, buses were used mainly for transfers, excursions and local trips.

In 1986, in Europe, due to increased competition between railway and bus companies, an association of bus carriers was created - the Eurolines Council (Eurolincs), which included 33 European partners. Bus companies acted under the same brand, developed a common bus service system for through tickets with common service standards, rules and a system of discounts. Today Eurolines is one of the leading companies on the market. It serves over 250 routes throughout Europe and is affiliated with 35 European bus companies. Since 1992 "Eurolines" began to work in Eastern Europe

The signing of the Schengen Agreement gave a new impetus to the development of bus transportation, allowing to simplify many formalities. In the 90s. the average annual growth of bus tourism averaged about 1.5%

The European Conference of Ministers of Transport (1984) distinguishes three types of bus tourism:

1) trips on scheduled buses;
2) travel by shuttle buses;
3) special (charter) flights

A separate group includes domestic tourism and trips during the day with various purposes (excursions during the day, shuttle service to airports, etc.)

Being an economic type of tourism accessible to the general population, bus tourism is constantly developing. There is still an upward trend in its volumes. Priority is given to weekend bus tours - 2-3-day trips to European cities for sightseeing and educational purposes are quite popular. In second place in popularity - route tours lasting 1-2 weeks in European cities, also with sightseeing and educational purposes

Seasonality in the organization of bus tours does not play such a big role as in other trips. In fact, bus tours are carried out throughout the year. Some decline in demand is observed in January-February. During these two months, one bus is usually “busy” on one route

According to experts, despite the importance of the price aspect, competition in the bus tour market is observed in the field of a variety of routes and quality of service.

The opening of traffic on regular international routes is regulated by bilateral government agreements, and transit through third countries requires the permission of the Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)

To simplify contracts for international carriage under the Geneva Convention of March 1, 1973, the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Passengers and Luggage by Road was adopted. Further facilitation of international transport is recorded in the Hague (1989) declaration on tourism and the Schengen agreement for members of the European Union

The organization of tourist transportation within the CIS countries is regulated by the Decree of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States "On the Basic Principles of Cooperation between the CIS Member States in the Field of Tourism" dated October 29, 1994 and other acts

In accordance with the European Agreement on Non-Scheduled International Transport of Passengers by Buses (ACOR), adopted in Dublin on May 26, 1982, for non-scheduled international passenger transport in Eastern and Western Europe, a control document (trip sheets) is used, which must be on board the bus

In this regard, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation adopted a decision dated February 7, 1997 No. LSH-6/60 “On the use of a unified set of trip sheets (control document with a number) on international non-regular passenger bus service between Russia and European countries: Belgium, Germany, Holland, Spain, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Yugoslavia"

In Europe, the legislation establishes common safety requirements for all when organizing bus tours

There is a project to limit the speed of buses to 100 km/h. This should be good for the environment, but could drastically reduce the competitiveness of buses in relation to other modes of transport. Such restrictions have already been introduced in most Western European countries, as well as in some Eastern European countries (for example, in Croatia)

In the meantime, the tour operator organizing bus tours, when planning routes to European countries, must take into account the speed and other restrictions that exist in different countries.

To make tourist trips to European countries, it is also necessary to obtain special insurance (in addition to medical) - the so-called green card (auto civil liability insurance in favor of third parties if the insured is guilty - International Motor Insurance Card)

In Europe, serious attention is paid to the condition of buses used for tourist transportation. So, in many countries, the operation of buses on tourist routes is prohibited if their service life exceeds 8 years. In accordance with European legislation, buses must also undergo a comprehensive technical control every six months. And although, by law, the customs officers of the European Union and Eastern European countries cannot check the condition of the road transport and the length of time the driver has been driving, in case of great doubt, they can resort to the help of the police and gendarmerie working at the customs point

In accordance with the decisions of the European Convention on the work of vehicle crews, from April 24, 1995, all buses with more than 9 seats must be equipped with tachographs

This requirement applies to all vehicles involved in international transportation, including Russian ones. In case of non-compliance, the operation of the bus will be prohibited.

The tachograph is an on-board device for objective control and accounting of the work of the car and the driver. It automatically shows and records the driving speed, current time, mileage, various periods of work and rest of the driver. Recordings are made on nominal chart disks (tachograms) and give a complete picture of the entire working day of the driver

The rights and obligations of the carrier and tourists are regulated by the contract for transportation, the contract for tourist services and the voucher

Bus trips can be organized on own buses owned by travel companies, as well as on rented buses owned by independent motor transport enterprises (ATP) of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation

As a rule, Russian firms work with rented buses. With such ATP, a travel company concludes a special contract for renting a bus for tourist transportation

Traveling with the use of personal transport of tourists
The organization of a package tour of a car trip includes the entire set of services, with the exception of transport. However, the travel company still provides special assistance in organizing the movement of tourists along the route in their cars. This is reflected in the specifics of the organization of car tours.

The most common for this type of travel are weekend trips. By type of tourism, the most popular car tours are health-improving (going to nature or places of rest) and educational (trips to historical or cultural monuments)

In a sense, the development of hotel infrastructure, in particular motels, is directly related to autotourism. In developed countries, along traditional tourist routes, entire chains of small hotels and campsites have been built, primarily aimed at serving tourists traveling by private cars.

The road trip preparation process includes:
- development of the route;
- development of a traffic schedule;
- registration of route documentation.

A tourist will need the following documents on the road: a passport (when traveling abroad - a foreign passport with visas of the relevant countries), a certificate for the right to drive a car (for foreign trips - an international standard), a technical passport of a car, a warning card, a power of attorney for the right to drive a car or an agreement about its rental (if the trip is not made on your own or rental car), route documents, service book, notarized copy of the technical passport (if you plan to transport the car by rail), "green card", medical insurance (when traveling abroad). The data in the data sheet must be duplicated in English

As for a driver's license for foreign road trips, as well as for car rental abroad for Russian tourists, this issue is regulated by an international document in this area - the Convention on Road Traffic. The Russian Federation is one of the contracting parties, therefore the documents issued on the territory of our country fully comply with the international model of the countries participating in the Convention

It is necessary to take out insurance for the car - in case of civil liability in case of a road trip (accident). When traveling abroad, it is mandatory to issue a so-called green card - motor third party liability insurance in case of an accident (International Motor Insurance Card)

It is also necessary to insure the car itself. Insurance is provided in case of loss or damage to the car as a result of an accident, fire or natural disaster

If several people (crews) are going on a multi-day trip, it is advisable to determine the leader of the road trip. They should be the most authoritative and experienced driver. In this case, it is necessary to compile a list of participants in the trip, which contains: last names, first names, patronymics, dates of birth of car owners and all passengers, their home addresses, blood types, brands and numbers of cars (by crew). It is desirable to make such a list for one traveling crew (if the trip is abroad, then it is desirable to duplicate it in English)

Car rental. Car rental (or rent) is a very common and popular service among tourists, especially on stationary and resort tours. In any tourist or resort center there are many car rental offices - from large to the smallest. The leading car rental company in the world is HERTZ. Competing with it "AVIS" in the mid-90s. was named the best car rental company in the world by the English magazine Institutional Investor

The procedure for renting a car is simple. The tourist is required to be at least 21 years old and not more than 70 years old (in some UK firms - 25 and 75 years, respectively). An employee of the rental company must present a passport and a driver's license (international). At the time of the conclusion of the contract, the certificate must be valid for at least 2 years (in the UK - 1 year, and for drivers under 25 the required experience increases by 1 year)

In some countries, customer service is only possible with a credit card, in most countries payment for services is carried out in cash, but a small deposit is required

The rental price must include the following:
- unlimited car mileage;
- delivery of a car to a client within the city;
- repair or replacement of a car in case of a technical malfunction, except for damage to tires and windshield;
- full insurance in case of an accident that occurred through no fault of the client;
- insurance covering damage caused to the car in an accident due to the fault of the client, in excess of a certain amount (but if at the time of the accident the driver was intoxicated, the insurance is not paid);
- insurance of passengers (except the driver) against accidents (the driver can insure himself for an additional fee);
- taxes

Usually the car is delivered with a full tank, but it must also be returned to the car rental office with a full tank

You can order a car rental at a vacation spot while buying a tour in your agency, including it in the package of services. Many travel agencies offer this to their tourists, since ordering a car rental in their agency makes it easier for the tourist to read the rental agreement in a foreign language, guarantees the provision of high-quality and understandable services by the tour purchase agreement as a whole.

The scheme for ordering a car through a travel agency is as follows. Having received the corresponding order from its tourist, the travel agency requests by fax the receiving tour operator or the car rental company directly. The request contains the name and surname of the tourist, the rental period, the brand of the car, the place of delivery of the car to the tourist. The car rental company also faxes a voucher to the travel agency in the name of the client. After receiving the voucher, money is transferred to pay for the car rental. In a place of rest, a tourist, by presenting a voucher, can get a car and use it for his own pleasure

And most importantly, before renting a car, you need to ask about parking conditions and taxi prices. Perhaps a taxi ride will be more profitable both in terms of money and nerves expended.

11.4. Rail travel

The railway is a convenient means of communication for transporting any category of tourists, ranging from individual tourists, large and small tourist groups on scheduled regular lines and charter trains, and ending with the organization of special tourist and excursion trains for local and long-distance traffic.

Railways have historically been actively involved in the development of tourist traffic

But still, road transportation is quite serious competition for short-distance rail transportation, as well as on sightseeing routes.

Currently, many companies that own railway lines (Vagon-Li, Akkor, etc.) are making great efforts to maintain and increase tourist passenger traffic. The main areas in this regard are:

Laying high-speed highways (to speed up transportation);
- service in carriages according to the Euro-Night formula (improvement of comfort to the level of a hotel);
- organization of special tourist trains, including "retro-locomotives" (special thematic trips on railway transport)

Rail traffic is regulated by a whole package of national and international agreements, conventions and treaties

In Russia there are: the Charter of the railways; Rules for the carriage of passengers and baggage by rail; departmental regulations published in periodicals; Rules of transportation and tariffs; Agreement on international passenger traffic; Uniform passenger tariffs; commercial reporting instructions; Rules for the transportation of military passengers, baggage and cargo; Rules for issuing free tickets for travel on railways and subways; Tariff guide; route and message indicators

The main body regulating rail transportation in the Russian Federation is the Ministry of Railways of the Russian Federation (MPS)

In the system of passenger transportation, trains are divided into regular trains, following a strictly established route, in a strictly observed time interval and schedule, which, in turn, are divided into suburban, local and long-distance, and non-reps (charter), which are completed as needed transportation. This also applies to tourist trains.

Regular trains. Commuter trains follow a fixed schedule within the region or region. The composition usually accommodates up to 1500 passengers, with up to 1000 seats. Trains make frequent stops at local stations. Seats in the carriages are not numbered.

Local trains run between stations of the same railway (in Europe it can be within the same state). Usually they run for a distance of up to 700 km and make transportation within a large area, region or small country - between villages and small towns. It happens that the difference between suburban and local trains is rather arbitrary and essentially depends on the geographical characteristics of the area and the country as a whole. With the exception of high-speed routes, local trains make frequent stops - at almost all stations.

Long-distance trains run over 700 km. They are divided into ambulances of year-round circulation, fast seasonal (summer), passenger long-range year-round and seasonal circulation.

Off-schedule (charter) trains. These are specially assigned out-of-regular charter trains. Special trains often include tourist-excursion trains, which also follow outside the regular schedule along routes specially laid out for them and traffic schedules drawn up taking into account the windows in the regular schedule and sightseeing and tourist purposes. Off-schedule trains also include the so-called export trains - organized outside the schedule during mass holidays, national and international competitions and games, as well as for the export of equipment and people for harvesting, agricultural and other work

Trains and wagons are also divided into different categories.

In the presence of a stable passenger flow, a regular route is assigned in a certain direction, on average, up to 17 cars, with a large flow, the number of cars in the direction can be increased to 25. However, long platforms are needed to service such trains. If there are not enough passengers in the direction, one or more cars are installed, which are uncoupled from the main train at the junction station along the route and delivered to the destination by a local flight, which may consist of several cars

The planning of rail transportation - the appointment of regular routes, the introduction of additional ones, their cancellation, the formation of trailer cars in directions - is a complex process that requires the preparation of forecasts for the formation of passenger flows in certain directions. The travel needs of the population depend on seasonality, vacation periods, weekends and national holidays, the beginning of the school year, school and student holidays. The rational use of rolling stock and the efficient use of technical and fixed assets and road capacity as a whole require reliable operational regulation and adjustment of the length of routes

Transportation of passengers and luggage, carried out on the territory of at least two countries on the same conditions and under one travel or transportation document, is called transportation in direct international passenger traffic (there are also so-called transfer and reloading communications, when passengers change at border stations , and baggage and luggage are reloaded from the wagons of the road of one country to the wagons of the road of another country). Tourists, as a rule, are transported in cars and trains of direct international direct communication.

The conditions of carriage in direct international traffic are published and they apply equally on all roads that have signed the Agreement on Direct International Traffic.

Russia is a great railway power. The presence of a dense network of railways, especially in the European part of the country, makes it possible to organize railway tour routes that are diverse in geographical location, form and content.

When organizing tourist routes by rail, it should be remembered that the railway network of our country is divided into several roads according to the territorial principle. The European part of Russia is more developed, the Eastern part (Siberia and the Far East) is less developed,
Transportation of tourists by regular trains
Transportation of tourists by scheduled (regular) trains is carried out on the basis of ordinary passengers on railway tickets. With the exception of suburban trains, tickets are issued on special standard forms (forms)

When purchasing a ticket or a travel document, a passenger commits an act of unconditional adherence to the rules for the carriage of passengers and their luggage established on a given road (tram, metro). Ticket stock - a form or form of a ticket, which may contain various columns about changing, confirming a ticket, as well as various stamps confirming its validity

The ticket generally states:

Carrier;
- departure station (departure city);
- destination station (arrival city);
- date of commencement of travel, trip, transportation (DOT - Date of Travel);
- departure time (time departure);
- train code and number;
- type and number of the carriage, passenger seat;
- the amount paid for the ticket;
- last name of the passenger (for long-distance trains);
- gender and passport number of the passenger (for international flights)

A feature of European rail transportation is that, unlike Russian tickets, they most often do not contain two details familiar to us: travel dates and seat numbers

In addition to single tickets in Europe, various railway "travel cards" are widespread, giving the right to unlimited movement for some time and within a certain area.

Tariffs and fees. Railway passenger tariffs - the established payment for the passage of passengers, the carriage of goods and baggage

Basic rates:

Direct reserved seat - a common passenger car (fare in a car with seats for a passenger train);
- surcharges for additionally provided services (for speed, for travel in cars and trains of higher paid categories, for the carriage of luggage and cargo luggage)

The general passenger fare (direct reserved seat) is formed in such a way that the absolute fare increases with increasing travel distance, but with increasing distance, the cost of one passenger-kilometer decreases. This provides passengers traveling long distances with a significant reduction in fares.

The surcharge for speed takes into account that the cost of travel in a fast train is 10-12% higher, the type of carriage is also taken into account (reserved seat, compartment 2-, 3-, 4-seat compartments, soft, etc.). The fare in Pullman (SV) and international class carriages is 40-45% higher. The fare for children between the ages of 5 and 10 is set at one quarter of the ticket price for an adult. However, this does not apply to the cost of a reserved seat.

Special tourist trains
There is a well-established opinion that any railway trip, especially a long one, is tiring and unpleasant. It is hard to even imagine that it can be not just a forced movement from one point to another, but a fascinating journey. However, this truth has long been recognized by foreign travel agencies and operators offering specialized rail tours. Western specialists have brought the technology of their implementation to almost perfection.

Standard rail tours can be divided into three independent categories:

One-day;
- short (2-3 days);
- multi-day (from 5 days or more).

One-day tours start in the morning and end in the evening of the same day. On the way, tourists sit at the tables of dining cars. Along the way, they can not only have an extra bite to eat, but also watch performances by pop and circus artists. Tourists are taken to a specific station, where a special program has been prepared for them. It can be a sightseeing trip or a picnic in nature. Most often, passengers have the opportunity to combine business with pleasure.

Short tours. During two-three-day railway tours, passengers live in separate compartments. Trips are traditionally designed in such a way that at night, when everyone is asleep, the train is on the way. During the day, tourists are busy with all kinds of sightseeing activities.

Multi-day tours. The schedule of trains serving multi-day trips is very diverse. Depending on the route and the excursion program, tourists are often on the way during the daytime. As practice shows, so that travelers do not get tired, a tourist train should go non-stop between two points for no more than a day and a half. Long day trips are planned, as a rule, in cases where interesting views and landscapes open up along the way. However, in some cases, short-term “green parking” is also assumed directly in the forest or in the mountains, on the coast of the sea or a large lake.

Tourist trains are commonly referred to as "hotels on wheels". Indeed, despite the overall dimensions of the carriages limited by the strict standards of the railway, many stationary hotels can envy their comfort and interior design. In each compartment, the total number of which in a sleeping car usually does not exceed eight, no more than two people live. Depending on the train category, compartments are equipped with two single beds (vertically or horizontally) or one double bed, air conditioning, a desk, telephone, TV. Toilet and shower rooms can be for the whole car or individually for one or two rooms. The tourist train also includes several restaurant cars, a lounge car (used as a library, a place for card games or negotiations, recreation), a conference car (aka a lecture hall, disco or video salon), as well as a "children's car" or "hall of outdoor games"

Rail travel is a fairly popular type of holiday abroad. The most persistent fans of this type of tourism are the Germans, the British and the Swiss. Moreover, if the inhabitants of Great Britain and Switzerland prefer to travel around their countries, the Germans traveled all over Europe and even reached Russia and America. Locomotive travel is considered a special chic among German tourists. And the most popular among all lovers of railway tourism, without exception, is the Orient Express (Orient Express), stylized as the famous composition of the beginning
20th century

Today, tourist routes permeate almost the entire extensive railway network of Western Europe. The motto of operators specializing in organizing tours by rail: "We will go wherever there are rails"

In recent years, there has also been an increase in interest in rail tourism in the Americas, where three long routes are in the lead: Trans-Canada (a ten-day journey from Vancouver to Montreal via Winnipeg and Ottawa); "Trans-America" ​​(12 days from Washington to Los Angeles via Charleston, New Orleans, San Antonio, El Paso, etc.); "Trans-Atlantic" (from Managua to the southern tip of South America to Puerto Montt via Guayaquil, Lima and Santiago). Interestingly, in America, these tourist trains are also called "Orient Express". Tourist routes are popular in Norway with a tour of the largest and most beautiful fjords in the world from a special train

There are train routes in India and even in Indonesia. For tourists visiting Indonesia, a unique tour is offered - "Tour the Steam Locomotives in Indonesia" ("Tour - steam locomotives in Indonesia") with an inspection of the world's largest collection of operating locomotives and wagons
gauge

Tourist-excursion trains are appointed on the basis of an agreement concluded between a tourist company and the railway department. Appointment of trains is made after the conclusion of the contract and payment of due payments

The tourist firm agrees with the management (department) of the road on the allocation of a train for a certain period. To do this, write a letter addressed to the head of the passenger service with a request to allocate such a composition. In the letter, he agrees and indicates the specific terms for the allocation of the composition

The following tourist trains from one point of excursion service to another, as a rule, should be carried out at night with stops only for technical needs

After the transfer of payments stipulated by the agreement, but not later than 20 days before the departure of the train, the department of the road of its departure gives an address telegram to all departments of the routes and copies: to the travel company organizing the tour; main departments of MGTS (passenger, traffic, medical and sanitary); catering establishments

The telegram should contain a diagram and schedule of the train, indicating the time and points of transfer from road to road, the procedure and time for the delivery of the train to the points of landing and registration, as well as points for additional supply of fuel and water along the route

Changing the approved schedule, as well as the route and departure time is not allowed

When assigning a special tourist train, it is assigned a name corresponding to the starting point (city) of departure (“Karaganda”, “Moskvich”, etc.), which is stored along the entire route. A stencil with the name of the train is fixed on board or on the inside of the window opening

When concluding an agreement, all due payments for transportation (rent, travel, etc.) must be transferred to the railway management no later than 20 days before the departure of the tourist train

The tourist organization is issued two copies of the contract and two receipts of the GU-57 form (one for travel there and the second for travel back), which indicate: the route of the train, stopping points, the cost of one ticket, the total number of passengers and the amount received for travel

A copy of the contract for the rental of a tourist-excursion train with a mark of the railway on receipt of all due payments and receipts (GU-57 form) are kept by the head (director) of the tourist route and presented during control along the route. After the end of the flight, the route director submits these documents to the accounting department of the tourist organization

Not later than 6 hours before the departure of the train, a special commission, consisting of representatives of the railway, a catering company, a sanitary and epidemiological service and a tourist organization renting the train (director of the tour route and train doctor), carries out a commission acceptance of the readiness of the train for the flight. The commission draws up an act of acceptance of the composition, which is transferred to all interested services. If necessary, measures are taken to replace wagons, etc.

In the carriages, the schedule of the tourist train, the names of the conductors on duty, the head of the train and the train electrician should be posted. In addition, in each carriage there should be posted: a service program ("Tourist's Corner"); surnames of the director of the tourist train, instructors, doctor; number of their wagon and seat; the number of the dining car in which tourists eat; shift number and meal times

11.5. Organization of boat trips

A motor ship trip (cruise) is a tourist trip along a river or sea, usually calling at ports, on board a special passenger ship. Currently, dozens of cruise companies around the world operate hundreds of passenger ships ranging from 70 to over 1000 passengers and offer exciting trips to almost any region of the world.

In fact, a cruise is a sea tour, the basic cost of which includes comprehensive services on board the ship, in particular: travel on the ship; accommodation in a cabin (depending on the chosen class); Three meals a day; entertainment and, as a rule, a number of special events on board the ship (holidays, festivals, competitions, concerts, etc.)

Cruises are one of the fastest growing market sectors. In 1998, more than 8 million tourists traveled by water, and by 2004, according to WTO forecasts, this figure will reach 11.5 million

Water cruises are organized both on the seas, oceans, and on different rivers. There is much in common in the organization of sea and river cruises. However, in terms of vessel capacity, organizational features, service programs, as well as the location of the tours, there are a number of differences among sea and river cruises.

Sea cruises. Today in the world, sea cruises are experiencing a happy period of growth. The cruise fleet is growing, the designs of passenger ships are being improved, their comfort is increasing, new sea and ocean routes are being developed. The most popular water travel is in the USA, Great Britain and Germany. Demand for cruising is noted in France, Italy, Switzerland and other countries

Around the world, there are several dozen specialized cruise companies operating from 1-2 to 15-20 passenger ships. Most cruise operators are united in a professional international association - Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). She coordinates the cruise business internationally.

Many travel agencies, especially those specializing in holidays and cruises, are also members of this Association. CLIA brings together about 33 travel agencies specializing in the sale of cruises and more than 20 thousand travel agencies involved in the sale of cruise trips. While the CLIA is difficult to compare in function and influence to the IATA, it is still an important international body dedicated to promoting the cruise industry to both consumer travelers and travel agencies. CLIA assists travel agencies with training, public relations and advertising. Thanks to the special professional training of travel agents and the skillfully conducted advertising campaign, CLIA managed to turn sea cruises into a "classic" type of holiday. 95% of all cruises are sold through the travel agencies of the Association, and the implementation of this tourism product is in second place after the sale of air tickets

In recent years, the image of the cruise as a tourist product has changed. The ship has turned into a floating hotel, where the atmosphere of entertainment and celebration reigns. Thanks to intensive advertising campaigns, the attractiveness of cruises has increased among all segments of the population

Combination and "package" air and sea cruises with the inclusion of the entire service complex in the cost of travel have been widely developed. At the same time, the cruise company organizes charter flights as part of the overall trip, providing the tourist with their level of service already from the airport.

Cruise duration. Experts believe that a one-week cruise is and will remain the main tourist product (about 40% of cruises are weekly trips). More short-term cruise tours are preferred by about 30% of the clientele. Cruises from 10 to 14 days attract just under 30%. Only 2-3% of customers take part in long cruises over 14 days (the so-called round-the-world trips).

Types of cruises In general, for the organization of cruise trips, the most common at the present time (up to 60% of cruises) is the classic European system, which provides for a sea voyage with a call at various ports with an excursion program

However, the American system also has its place in demand, the main purpose of which is to provide cruise passengers with the opportunity to relax and sunbathe on the beaches at the points of entry along the route.

Recently, "cruises to nowhere" - one- and two-day trips without calling at other ports - are gaining popularity in almost all regions. As a rule, such a vessel leaves the base port at 6 pm on Friday and returns on Sunday evening.

Main cruise regions:

1) Mediterranean Sea - from May to October;
2) Caribbean  winter months;
3) around Europe and Scandinavia - from mid-May to the end of August

The countries of Southeast Asia have been making great efforts lately to become the fourth most popular cruise region. So, for example, Singapore wants to become the second Miami in its region: the expensive cruise stops built attract Western cruise companies to base their fleet on them and organize cruise routes.

Categories of cruise companies. According to the technical equipment and comfort of the fleet, the level of service on board, the size of the base rates and a number of other indicators, cruise companies are divided into four main categories:

Standard (they are usually designated ***), for example Dolphin cruise line;
- first-class (****) - Costa Cruises, Norwegian cruise line;
- prestigious (*****) - Holland America line, Celebrity Cruises;
- Super Suite (******) _ Seabourn and others

Somewhat apart from them are specialized maritime operators (for example, Club Med, Windstar, etc.)

There are about 60 operators on the global cruise market, of which 47 operate 1-3 ships each. However, many of them are subsidiaries of large cruise operators, created for the independent operation of individual ships in specific regions.

The largest cruise operators are the American ones: Carnival Cruise Line Corporation (CCL), Royal Caribbean, as well as the British P& O Cruises Divison.

Payment on ships depends on:

From the comfort of the vessel;
- cabin category, which is determined depending on the basic and additional conditions of comfort.

Russian sea cruises. The history of Soviet maritime tourism begins in 1957, when Intourist JSC began to carry out sea voyages from Odessa to Leningrad around Europe on the leased passenger ships Pobeda and Georgia, and on the Black Sea with tourists on the Peter the Great from socialist countries. In 1960, the first cruise with Soviet tourists was organized on the Admiral Nakhimov on the Crimean-Caucasian line, and in 1962, on the ship Grigory Ordzhonikidze, in the Far East, lasting 20 days, calling at Nakhodka, Olga Bay, Sovgavan, Kholmsk, Korsakov. In the same period, sea tourism began to develop in the North and the Baltic.

In the Soviet Union, the main base of the marine cruise fleet was the Black Sea Shipping Company (ChMP) in Odessa. Therefore, the collapse of the Union had a painful effect on the marine passenger fleet of Russia - the country was practically left without comfortable sea liners. And Ukraine, having inherited more than 40 cruise ships, does not use two-thirds of them today: some were sold or given on long-term foreign charter, some were decommissioned or laid up. The crisis of the Ukrainian economy did not pass by ChMP-BLASCO, the joint-stock company into which the former Black Sea Shipping Company was transformed. Its current insolvency and astronomical debts have repeatedly caused the arrest of ships, including cruise ships, in various ports of the world. Nevertheless, CMP-BLASCO continues to be the main charterer for cruise companies operating in the CIS tourist market. Of the most comfortable passenger ships available to our tourists, the Odessa Shipping Company left the ships of the Belorussiya type (Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia) and the Ivan Franko type (Shota Rustaveli and Taras Shevchenko, which passed recently completely renovated)

The fact that the majority of the country's passenger fleet is based in Odessa determines the direction of sea cruise routes on the Russian market. The most frequent offers are motor ship trips in the Mediterranean Sea with calls at the ports of Turkey (), Greece (Piraeus), Egypt (Port Said, Alexandria), Israel, Italy, Spain and other countries. Cruise tours in the Baltic and North Seas, starting from St. Petersburg or Kaliningrad and providing stops in the ports of Northern Europe and Scandinavia, are a success with Russian tourists. Especially popular among Russians is the traditional sea cruise around Europe (Odessa - St. Petersburg), which allows you to see almost all the leading countries of the "Old World" in one trip.

But motor ship trips in the basins of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, to the shores of the countries of Southeast Asia are a rarity for the domestic cruise business. Only the firm "Primekspress" went on to organize such cruises since 1994. And despite their unprofitability, he plans to continue to carry Russians to exotic countries.

The terms of sea cruises are very diverse and, depending on the direction of the routes, range from one week to one month. They can start and end both in one port and in different ones, both in Russian or Ukrainian, and in any foreign ports

Sea cruises are one of the most comfortable and, therefore, the most expensive types of recreation. Prices for Russian water travel are three-five times lower than global prices due to lower freight rates and cheaper service. For this reason, competition in the domestic cruise market exists only between "our" travel agencies and is almost absent from foreign ones. Occupying a higher position, foreign cruise companies do not make any special attempts to enter the Russian market. And even the opening in Russia of a representative office of the well-known Western travel agency Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd, which operates in many water basins of the world, does not create competition for our cruise operators.

The marine passenger fleet of Russia is under the jurisdiction of the Azov, Baltic, Far Eastern, Caspian, Kamchatka, Murmansk, Northern, Sakhalin and Black Sea Shipping Companies, subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Transport. In addition to the ships of the named shipping companies, Russian tourist firms and organizations rent ships in the Estonian and Danube (Ukraine) shipping companies, Ukrpassflot (Odessa)

The Federal Maritime Transport Service manages maritime transport in Russia.

Vessels for tourism purposes (cruises) are rented under a special agreement - a freight contract, concluded between a tourist organization and a shipping company. Such an agreement includes:

Number and name of ships; number of seats by category;
- itineraries of cruises and their dates;
- the number of bed sets per voyage for each ship and their cost;
- the cost of payment for each flight;
- the total amount of payment for the transportation of tourists;
- responsibility of the parties

Mandatory annexes to the contract are:

1) ship's timetable, agreed with the tourist organization;
2) plan-map of the vessel, approved at the time of conclusion of the contract;
3) calculation of payment for renting a vessel by category of cabins and elemental rates for each sea basin, taking into account seasonal discounts

Recently, some shipowners offer vessels for bareboat charter - long-term lease and operation with all the ensuing responsibility

The shipowner is obliged to comply with the established timetable for the movement of the ship. In the event of a delay in the arrival of the vessel at the port and a reduction in the time of stay, the administration of the vessel is obliged to notify the employees of the tourist cruise and tourists about all the changes and deviations in the schedule of the vessel's movement, to take measures to implement the tourist service program

River cruises. Unlike sea river cruises, they are less affected by the weather, more informative, as they have a coastal view, there is a great opportunity to use green parking

Western Europe has a fairly extensive shipping network of waterways. The following rivers flow through its territory: the Seine, the Elbe, the Danube, the Rhine and other rivers. All of them are connected by a complex system of canals, which provides excellent opportunities for the growth of the popularity of river cruise travel. Germany holds the first place in river cruises, followed by Great Britain, Holland, Switzerland and Austria. The most popular routes are along the Rhine and its tributaries (Moselle, Main, Neckar, Weser). In Europe, river cruises on the Danube through seven countries are in great demand

The most popular river cruise routes among foreign tourists are primarily along the Rhine and Danube. In third place are the Russian rivers Volga, Don, their tributaries, lakes and canals. Demand for these routes fell after Chernobyl, the collapse of the USSR and due to the unstable situation in Russia and the CIS countries

Nile cruises are usually part of a larger tour or holiday program. The same applies to the even more exotic Amazon, the St. Lawrence and the Yangtze. Demand for cruises on French rivers and canals is growing

In the West, the demand for river cruises is increasing every year. Of particular interest are short-term cruises up to five days. This is due to the fact that most tourists prefer to take weekends during the trip so as not to miss work. During this time, tourists manage to visit many places, no matter how they never change hotels. River cruises are especially attractive for middle-aged and elderly people: unlike sea travel, the land is visible all the time, and there is no seasickness

Motor ships operating cruise programs on the rivers of Germany, Great Britain, France and Holland are single-deck and double-deck motor ships of special construction or, in some cases, converted self-propelled barges. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they all have a low draft and a superstructure. This is due to the fact that most of the routes run along narrow channels and motor ships are forced to pass under the low alignments of bridges and along shallow rivers. Accordingly, the capacity of such vessels is very small. However, the owners of motor ships are trying to decorate their ship as comfortably and cozily as possible, to supply it with the most necessary things. Among them there are both single-star vessels and comfortable luxury motor ships.

On ships cruising along the rivers of Europe, shipowners are trying to increase the area of ​​restaurants, because due to lack of space on some tourist ships, they have to have lunch and dinner in two shifts. This often causes dissatisfaction among tourists, as the first shift feels limited in time, and the second one has to wait a long time. Cruise leaders have now resolved this issue by periodically changing shifts after a few days

This tourist product has certain difficulties in conquering a wide market. The main one is the high price. But nevertheless, this product is moving very well in the European tourist market and the demand for it is growing from year to year. The main consumers of river cruises are elderly people who prefer coziness, comfort, full board, constant proximity to the coast, as well as interesting excursions to memorable places. The main share of river cruise customers are Americans, French, Germans, Swiss, Dutch

River cruises are diverse in length, duration of routes, topics. As a rule, cruises are offered from 7 to 15 days. There are cognitive, sports, gastronomic cruises, winemaking places, etc.

The sale of a river cruise is direct, when ship-owning firms or tenant firms sell a tourist product through their own office or sell it through a network of specialized agencies, including firms that organize tours and bus trips.

Russian river travel. The Russian Federation has unique opportunities for organizing river trips. Rivers, lakes and canals in the European part made it possible to connect the Baltic, White, Azov, Black and Caspian seas, and Moscow became a port of five seas. As you know, Russia has the largest network of rivers. The length of operated inland waterways is about 100 thousand km, of which more than 16 are artificially created canals and reservoirs. Convenient, efficient waterway connects the North-Western, Central and Southern regions of the country

In 1959, the Central Council for Tourism and Excursions of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions organized the first river route. During that navigation, 10 ships transported 12 thousand travelers. Currently, this figure is more than 1 million people. Nearly 150,000 km of the country's blue roads have now been developed by tourists. They operate 700 hydraulic structures, including 122 locks. The work of the river fleet in Russia is based on the territorial production principle. Passenger transportation is carried out by more than 60 enterprises - former shipping companies and ports, transformed into shipping companies and joint-stock companies. The general management and coordination of the activities of enterprises is carried out by the Service of Rosrechflot of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.

Currently, tourist transportation is carried out by vessels of joint-stock companies and shipping companies: in the Central Basins, the Moscow River Shipping Company, the Capital Shipping Company, Volga-Flot, the Kama Shipping Company, Doninturflot, the White Sea-Onega Shipping Company, St. Petersburg Passenger Port; in the Eastern basins - Yenisei, Lena and Amur shipping companies

Tourist transportation is carried out on 80 different routes with a duration of 3 to 20 days

About 87% of all tourist traffic is carried out in the shipping companies of the Central and North-Western basins

According to the current practice, shipowners (former shipping companies) lease motor ships to various travel companies, mainly Russian ones, which, having foreign partners, carry out the loading. As a rule, reputable travel agencies from year to year take the same motor ships, carry out their reconstruction and modernization. The following companies are known on the Russian market of river vessels: "Pallada" - cruises along the Volga and the Volga-Baltic Canal; "Svarog" and some others

In previous navigations (90s), some Russian travel agencies chartered 3-4 or more highly comfortable vessels, sometimes from several shipowners. So, for example, the cruise company "Orthodox" cooperates with JSC IC "Volga-flot", LLC "Kama Shipping Company" and JSC "Donintur-flot". Ships are loaded by foreign companies: OdessaAmerica Cruise Company (USA), Phoenix (Germany), Transtu-ro (France). The company "Vis-cruise" cooperates with JSC IC "Volga-flot" and JSC "Doninturflot", the load comes from the companies "Hagshag-Lloyd", "Plan-ture" (Germany), as well as "Voice" and "Big Tourism" (France). Firm "Pallada" has a download from "Olympia Reisen" (Germany). Yenisei river shipping company for loading the ship "A. Chekhov works directly with Mittel-Thurgau (Switzerland)

Year by year, the number of foreign firms is increasing, wishing to send their compatriots on vacation along the rivers of Russia.

The conclusion of contracts between shipping companies and tourist organizations usually ends before December 30 of the year preceding the service. The contract can be concluded for a period of one to three years. Timetables (schedules) for the movement of tourist ships within the boundaries of one shipping company are developed and approved by it in agreement with the interested tourist organization before December 1 of the preplanning year. At the same time, timetables for lines (routes) passing through adjacent basins are developed, but they are approved by the Ministry of River Fleet

After signing the contracts, tourist organizations have the right to start selling vouchers for cruise flights. Vouchers serve as the basis for tourists to occupy the places indicated in them on the ship, receive sets of bed linen (one set for up to 10 days), the established diet and cultural and excursion services

After scheduling, the charterer receives a schedule for the ship, on the basis of which he draws up a scheme of excursion services. At this stage, together with the tourist bureaus located in the cities of the ship, the excursion and entertainment programs, attractions that should be included in the cruise program are negotiated. There is an advance order of tickets and guides in museums and historical complexes along the route and according to the excursion program. Comfortable buses are rented in advance for transfers from the airport and back (for international tourists)

Before the start of navigation, representatives of the shipping company and travel agency, with the participation of the captain of the ship, the director of the ship's restaurant and the head of the cruise, accept the ship on commission - they inspect the ship's passenger premises and equipment in order to determine their readiness for transporting tourists, about which they draw up an appropriate act. Vessels at the starting points of the voyage are served for boarding on tourist lines 2 hours before departure

The shipping company and the travel agency develop a general daily routine before the start of the tour. Compliance with the established internal regulations on the ship is mandatory for all tourists and service personnel. Registration of tourists is carried out by the cruise leader before boarding the ship in the premises of the river station provided by the shipping company (port). When selling the tour, the tourist is informed about the end of registration (landing) 30 minutes before the departure of the vessel.

When serving tourists on motor ship tours, the following take part:

The crew of the vessel;
- employees of ship restaurants;
- cruise tourist team

Ship cruise workers, usually freelance, are hired so that they can complete the necessary preparatory work before the ship leaves for the voyage. Cruise managers are usually hired 20 days before the start of the season or individual cruise; instructors-methodologists - in 10 days; animators, music workers and others - 5 days before the start of the season or a separate cruise route.

Excursion and pleasure flights. Excursion reps include trips of sightseers made on river vessels in order to get acquainted with memorable, historical and other attractions lasting no more than 24 hours

Pleasure trips include transportation of groups of tourists, performed for a short time for the purpose of rest and acquaintance with memorable historical and other places of interest, carried out, as a rule, between two posts with calls and stops at them or without calls and stops. These flights can be more or less than 24 hours long.

Flights lasting less than 24 hours are made, as a rule, by ships of the port fleet and are carried out in suburban and intracity areas.

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Air transport infrastructure. According to statistics, the growth rate of the popularity of air transport is higher than that of road transport, which is due to the increasing expansion of the geography of travel and the existing steady trend towards reducing travel time in favor of their frequency. As a result, air transport is the most dynamically developing branch of world transport. The network of international transportation covers more than 150 countries of the world.

Now there are more than 1300 airlines in the world. On average, about 1.5 billion people are transported on flights annually. Over 470 carriers now provide international air services, about 250 of them operate international regular flights. More than 1000 airports of the world participate in servicing international air communications, about 650 of them serve international scheduled air transportation.

However, the international air transport system includes not only international air carriers and airports, but also states connected by international air lines and providing these communications, as well as international organizations in the field of air transport, taking measures to ensure its efficient functioning and safety.

In almost every country in the world there is an airline that is a kind of visiting card of the country, whose reliability, punctuality, service and comfort meet the highest international standards. Such a company is called national flag carrier. Such airlines in different countries are: French Air France, German Lufthansa, British British Airways, Austrian Austrian Airlines, Spanish Iberia, Swiss Swiss, Finnish Finnair, etc. Russian flag- the carrier is Aeroflot-Russian Airlines.

Three quarters of the available airliners are located in the Americas. The largest US airlines are: Federal Express, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, US Airways, Southwest Airlines, TWA (Trans World Airlines), America West Airlines, Alaska Airlines. Their sales volume is up to 15 billion dollars a year. Large airlines also operate on the American continent in countries such as Canada - Air Canada, Canadian Airlines; Brazil - Varig, Brazilian Airlines; Mexico (three largest airlines).

The largest airlines in Europe are: "British Airways" (Great Britain); Lufthanza German Airlines (Germany); Air France (France); SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System - Sweden, Denmark, Norway); "Alitalia" (Italy); Iberia Airlines (Spain); KLM - Royal Dutsh Airlines (Netherlands); "Crossair", "Swiss" (Switzerland); Sabena Belgian World Airlines (Belgium); Finnair (Finland). Of the countries of Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and Hungary have the largest aircraft fleet.

In Asia, the largest airlines are: ANA ("All Nippon Airways"), JAL ("Japan Airlines") (Japan); Korean Air (Republic of Korea); "Saudia - Saudi Arabian Airlines" (Saudi Arabia); Malaysia Airlines (Malaysia); China Southern Airlines, Air China (China); Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong); JAS ("Japan Air System") (Japan); Singapore Airlines (Singapore); Thai Airways International (Thailand); Iraqi Airways (Iraq); THY - Turkish Airlines (Turkey); Philippine Airlines (Philippines).

On the African continent, there are major airlines in Libya, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria. There are also relatively large airlines in Australia and Oceania. In Australia, these are Qantas Airways and Ansett Australia. The Indonesian company "Garuda Indonesia" and the New Zealand ANZ ("Air New Zealand") have a large fleet of aircraft.

Among the airlines are public(public, that is, regulated by the state) and private(privatized and being private companies). In Europe, the activities of airlines are largely regulated by the governments of countries. In the US, by contrast, all airlines are privatized and private. Swiss and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) are partly privatized and partly owned by the state. British airlines are all privatized.

In most countries, as a rule, there are three main types of airlines operating regular scheduled flights:

· large– national companies flying all over the country and abroad;

· regional- airlines operating within certain regions of one country;

· local are small local airlines operating short distance flights from small suburban airfields. As a rule, they operate small propeller-driven aircraft with a capacity of up to 40 passengers and deliver them to airports for subsequent transfer to flights of large airlines.

For example, the list of the best airlines in the world traditionally includes:

§ best overall experience: "British Airways" and "Virgin Atlantic" (Great Britain), "Singapore Airlines" (Singapore), KLM (Holland) and some others;

§ best for long haul: Virgin Atlantic, British Airways (UK), Singapore Airlines (Singapore), Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong, China), Qantas (Australia);

§ the best in first and business class: Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates (UAE), Cathay Pacific (China);

§ best in economy class: Virgin Atlantic, Emirates Airways (UAE), British Airways, Swissair (Switzerland), Singapore Airlines (Singapore);

§ the best in the frequent flyer program: British Airways, American Airlines (USA), Virgin Atlantic, Swissair (Switzerland), KLM (Holland).

Air transport infrastructure also includes airfields and airports. According to the Air Code of the Russian Federation aerodrome is a land plot with a complex of engineering structures and buildings, specially allocated and equipped for takeoff and landing, taxiing, parking and maintenance of aircraft.

Airfields located at an altitude of more than 1000 m are considered mountainous, those located in rough terrain with relative elevations of more than 500 m - airfields in mountainous areas. Aerodromes are divided into main (on which landing is provided for by the flight plan) and alternate (intended for landing when it is impossible for the main one for any reason, the departure aerodrome usually also belongs to the alternate).

The main structure of the aerodrome is the runway (runway) - one or more, as well as space for taxiing and parking aircraft. This is a specially equipped runway with a hard surface at the airfield for takeoff and landing of aircraft. The runway is equipped with light and electronic means of navigation and flight support. At modern airfields with the proper equipment, the liner can be landed automatically without the participation of the pilot.

The airport- a complex of buildings and structures intended for receiving and dispatching aircraft and servicing air traffic, which has an airfield, an air terminal, ground maintenance facilities for aircraft, as well as the necessary equipment, aviation personnel and other employees.

Airport domestic- serving domestic carriers - designed to serve domestic flights of aircraft (within the territory of this state), the international airport serves international flights. However, in practice, international airports also serve domestic flights, although the actual terminals of domestic and international flights are separated. international Airport- an airport open for the reception and departure of aircraft performing international air transportation, in which customs, border, sanitary-quarantine and other control is carried out.

There are about 1000 international airports in the world. The top 30 airports handle over 10 million passengers a year, more than half of them in the US. Six major airports handle over 30 million passengers annually. O-Hara Airport in Chicago has the highest capacity with 60 million passengers per year. In Europe, Heathrow Airport near London (UK) is considered the most powerful. There are 76 international airports in Russia and their number is constantly increasing. Russian airlines operate flights to 175 major airports in 120 countries.

The number of airports in the world practically does not increase, but passenger capacity is growing, their infrastructure is developing, and service technology is being improved. According to experts, the airport of the XXI century. must be, and is already becoming, more than just a place to get on and off an airplane. For example, the British company BAA, which owns Heathrow (in London) and Gatwick (in Glasgow), as well as Edinburgh Airport (in Scotland), has already turned its terminals into the most profitable outlets in the UK.

According to IATA, most of the world's largest airports are located in the Americas. The top ten airports include seven American, two European and one Asian. But just because the airport is the largest in the world does not mean that it is the best in terms of passenger service. This is confirmed by IATA annual surveys of a large number of passengers.

The best airports in terms of passenger service are determined by several criteria: information service, catering, availability of various shops, communication services, etc. The results of the research showed that the best airports in the world are located in the cities: Dubai (UAE), Singapore, Hong Kong, Copenhagen (Denmark). ), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Seoul (South Korea), Athens (Greece), Vancouver (Canada), Cincinnati (USA), Sydney (Australia).

Dubai Airport, launched in 2000, was recognized as the most convenient and efficient in the world. Singapore Airport received the highest score for the work of the helpful staff. Copenhagen Airport was in fourth place, becoming the best in Europe. Seoul Airport was in sixth place in the ranking. None of the major airports was rated by the passengers surveyed.

Despite the expanding infrastructure and service capabilities, the airport retains its main function - as a place of boarding and disembarking from an aircraft. The place of departure for the flight and arrival from the flight. Based on this, the main task of the airport is to serve flights of various airlines and serve air passengers.

AT airport tasks includes: maintenance of passenger transportation, cargo and mail; providing air flights of foreign and national airlines within the airport; ensuring the regularity and safety of flights, meteorological observations; ensuring the proper operation of communications and light signaling; aircraft maintenance and refueling; change of toilet tanks, garbage collection; an important operation is the prompt preparation and supply of compact power for each flight.

Each airport has the following units: a detachment serving the runway and field; lighting personnel; air navigation service; technical staff for servicing passengers on boarding and disembarking from an aircraft, as well as for loading and unloading baggage; service "cargo" (cargo service); aircraft engineering; meteorological service; medical service, including a sanitary-quarantine point; help desk.

At each airport, in close cooperation with employees of the airport itself, there are representative offices of airlines operating flights on the lines to which the airport belongs. Control services (border, customs, sanitary and quarantine, veterinary, phytosanitary, etc.) operate at international airports.

The territory of each airport is strictly divided into two zones: a) the arrival (arrival) zone and b) the departure (departure) zone. Each airport is allocated a special place - the so-called the waiting area(for meeting, transit passengers, etc.). A special area of ​​each international airport is neutral zone. Departing passengers after customs and passport control before the departure of the aircraft, and arriving passengers - before customs and passport control are required to stay in this zone. In this neutral territory, there are usually all kinds of duty free shops that are exempt from taxes and duties.

Rail transport infrastructure. Railways with different network densities and levels of technical equipment have been built in most countries of the world, but there are a number of countries where there are no railways. These include: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Belize, Bhutan, Brunei, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Congo (Zaire), Kuwait, Lesotho, Libya, Mauritius , Niger, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Qatar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE, Uruguay and some others.

Before the intensive development of road and air transport from the middle of the XIX century. and in the first half of the 20th century. The railroad was one of the main ways travelers moved from their main residence to another locality or country. Since the intensification of technological progress, road transport and air carriers have taken over a significant share of traffic. However, the creation of high-speed railway lines returned competitiveness to the railway.

Within the main European countries - Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Great Britain - today it is even more convenient to travel between major capitals and tourist centers by train than by bus or plane. The journey from Milan to Rome takes just over 2 hours, with a train traveling at over 200 km/h. Moreover, the train moves along a fairly straight track, which is always shorter than any highway connecting two settlements.

In the presence of high-speed trains, the greatest efficiency of movement on the railway is observed when traveling at distances up to 500-600 km. In this case, high-speed railway lines make it possible to overcome this route in 2-3 hours, which is quite convenient for tourists. In addition, trains usually arrive at stations that are traditionally located right in the very center of large cities and capitals, which minimizes the transfer and creates significant advantages over aviation. If we add to this several times lower (compared to air transport) fare, then the advantages of rail transport (especially when traveling over medium and relatively short distances) are obvious. With distances of transportation less than 500 km, it is more efficient to use road transport, and for more than 1000 km - air transportation.

In addition to its original purpose - transportation - the railway is actively used for entertainment purposes. Slow “steam rides” on vintage trains (retro trains) with unique locomotives national parks have become excellent entertainment for tourists spoiled by superhighways. All over the world, railway amateur clubs were organized, there were zealous collectors of old steam locomotives and even owners of small private roads equipped with rolling stock of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The subject of tourist interest is photo and video filming of retro locomotives with a plume of black smoke from a picture tube against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes, and even soundtracks of original and characteristic sounds of mechanisms during movement.

The role of railway transport in the Russian Federation and on the territory of the post-Soviet space remains traditionally large. This type of transport is invariably very popular among the vast majority of the country's population and is used as the main mode of transport in the implementation of both domestic (to a greater extent) and international tourist trips. Currently, in Russia, the share of railway transport accounts for almost 50% of passenger traffic.

The structure of railway transport is based on the production-territorial principle, according to which the entire railway network of the country is divided into separate large sections - railways. In turn, the railways are divided into departments, which are the main production links of the railways. The departments manage the financial, production and economic activities of all production and linear divisions located within the boundaries of this railway: stations, train stations, railway tracks, track infrastructure, track facilities, etc.

Consequently, the infrastructure of railway transport is formed by linear and nodal elements. Linear railways include the railway lines of a country or region. Nodal and point elements include passenger stations, train stations, technical services of the railway. Consider them and their functions in more detail.

Passenger stations- Separate points of the railways, where operations are carried out with passenger trains and wagons - formation, acceptance and dispatch, transit, maintenance of rolling stock, passenger service. Special stations are being built to serve passengers. Passenger stations are divided into through, nodal, dead-end, combined, technical, passenger-and-freight stations.

Depending on the purpose, passenger stations have ways for receiving and departing passenger trains, performing shunting operations, and temporary parking of trains; station buildings and pavilions for servicing passengers and attendants; platforms and transitions. The stations have technical services and parks, baggage and cargo services.

Train Station- a complex of buildings and structures specially designed and properly equipped to serve passenger trains and passengers. The station generally contains the actual station building with waiting rooms, ticket offices, food points, luggage services, office space, platforms, station tunnels and passages.

Railway stations can be separate (to serve only long-distance and suburban trains), semi-separate, when the station is structurally divided into two parts for long-distance and suburban lines, as well as single (the station is not divided into zones for long-distance and suburban trains; all platforms are located together and used in combination). Depending on the location of the station buildings relative to the tracks, side buildings located on one side of the tracks are distinguished, island buildings - the building is located between the tracks, dead-end and channel (under and over the track).

Large railway stations have a huge capacity - up to 20 million passengers a year or more. At the same time, intensive passenger flows are generated as trains depart and arrive. Accordingly, they are allocated to departure passengers, arrival passengers, transit passengers, passengers of passing long-distance trains and passengers of tourist trains with a long stop at this station. For each category of passengers, the zone, the area of ​​the station premises and the service system are determined.

At the stations themselves, there are zones for the departure and arrival of passengers. This is important, especially at dead-end and junction stations, when more than 1000 passengers with luggage leave the train at the same time. The correct organization of service areas for passing high-speed trains is important. Station crossings connect platforms, station premises, waiting rooms and the station square. Among them are transitions at the same level with the tracks, at the level of platforms, bridges and concourses, viaducts, ramps, tunnels, stairs, escalators.

Lounges are designed for passengers of various categories, including transit ones, lounges for passengers with children and a comfortable waiting room for VIPs. Toilets, shops, food outlets, bars, restaurants, ticket offices, information and service services, business centers, currency exchange points, medical care and security points are placed in them or adjacent premises of the station.

The technical services of the railway are very diverse. In addition to the actual organization of train traffic and the technical maintenance of rolling stock, these services perform multiple duties of booking and selling tickets to passengers, information functions, supplying fuel, water, bed linen, food, garbage and waste collection, and security.

road transport infrastructure. Auto services used in the tourism industry include the following main areas: 1) organizing bus trips (including caravans); 2) organization of car trips: using your own car; car rental in the place of permanent residence; car rental at the holiday destination.

Several modes of transport are involved in international passenger transportation: air, international, sea and road, which includes cars and buses. At the present stage of development of international transportation, road transportation has a high share in the total volume of international passenger traffic.

By 2007, the share of road transport has significantly decreased and amounted to less than 40% due to an increase in the share of air transport travel. However, road transport is still the leader in tourist transportation, performing two main functions: independent type of travel and excursions; auxiliary (transfer) transport. It should be noted that 92% of all excursions are carried out using road transport.

The most popular tourist transport is a bus, in most cases it is the property of large tourist companies, associations, concerns, associations. Other travel companies use the services of road transport companies on the basis of long-term leases or one-time orders.

Tourist road transport is carried out mainly by bus (78%), cars (17%) and other types of road transport (5%). Possessing high maneuverability and mobility, tourist buses are unrivaled on short and medium (up to 500 km) routes. Highly comfortable tourist buses are also used on long routes (tours in Europe, the Golden Ring, etc.). At the same time, rest of tourists at night is provided, as a rule, in hotels or motels (roadside hotels). According to the international classification, according to a number of features, buses are certified by category (the number of stars).

Tourist and excursion transportation is the most popular type of travel in our country. They are widely used by travel agencies in the organization of domestic and inbound tourism. In particular, many travel agencies of the country are developing bus tours for both Russian and foreign tourists. Such routes are classified according to a number of characteristics: time of implementation, duration, region of implementation, subject, travel conditions.

The duration of most domestic tours usually ranges from one to ten days. For example, the most famous multi-day bus route (4-5 days) is the route through the cities of the Golden Ring. The themes of bus tourist and excursion routes are also very diverse. Tour operators offer religious programs (visiting monasteries and religious buildings of the country), pilgrimage tours, space tours (visiting spaceports, aviation and astronautics museums), theater tours (visiting the most famous theaters in Moscow and St. -end, etc.), holiday tours (participation in festive events) and others. Non-traditional bus tours are also offered - sauna tour, jeeping, tours of fishermen, hunters, tasting and gastronomic tours.

In addition to the organization of bus tourist-excursion guided tours on domestic routes, charter unaccompanied tours and sightseeing trips are organized for independently formed groups of tourists. In the first case, buses are used for the organized delivery of sports fans, businessmen, scientists, and festival participants. In the second case, motor transport enterprises or travel agencies organize a short trip for everyone along some interesting city or suburban route, accompanied by a guide.

International bus tours differ in duration, content of excursion programs and service conditions during the trip. In terms of these factors, all international bus tours can be divided into economical, standard, branded and exclusive. AT economical tours the trip includes a varied excursion program, accommodation in 2-3 star hotels located on the outskirts of cities, night crossings. AT standard tours one overnight transfer, accommodation in 2-3 star hotels near metro stations or public transport lines, a varied excursion program and free time in large cities are expected. AT branded tours there are no night transfers, accommodation is organized in 3-5 star hotels located in the city center, a rich excursion program and free time in visited settlements are provided. Exclusive tours are formed on the basis of branded, if desired, the wishes of customers are accepted.

At present, international passenger transportation by buses in Russia actually represents two directions, namely, irregular transportation within the framework of international bus tourism and passenger transportation on regular international lines. With the formation of the CIS, there was a significant change in each of these areas of transportation activity.

In contrast to the irregular transportation of tourists, international regular bus lines have become widespread relatively recently, after Russia has become a market development path, which has made it possible to provide the necessary regulatory framework and freedom of movement of Russian citizens abroad. One of the pioneers in this area was the Reichert company, which for the first time opened a regular route Russia - Germany.

For more than ten years, Eurolines has been operating in Moscow, an international association of road carriers that unites 35 major European bus companies. For those who prefer to travel independently, the Eurolines bus system is the most suitable way to travel, cheap and at the same time allowing you to see almost all of Europe. Currently, the Eurolines bus system connects more than 40 major European cities: London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Lyon, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, Munich, Vienna, Basel, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Rome, Milan , Florence, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Zurich, Bordeaux, Venice, Dublin, Krakow, Bratislava, etc.

Bus tourism. Bus tours- travel groups of tourists on their own or rented buses. They can be carried out everywhere and practically without restrictions. Due to their mobility and relative independence from transport communications and schedules, bus trips allow organizing routes to interesting places at the most convenient time for tourists. Bus routes are divided into urban, suburban and intercity.

The advantages of bus tours are their relative cheapness: a bus trip costs about 1.5-2 times cheaper than a regular tour with air travel and that the price of bus tours does not change throughout the season, regardless of demand. The organization of bus tourism has accumulated a lot of experience and has a long tradition in comparison with other types of tourism. Possibility of inclusion in bus route small towns makes such trips convenient for family tourists and the elderly. The participation of cars and buses in international tourism reflects the ratio of individual and group tourism, since international bus tourism is mostly group tourism.

Modern bus tourism is currently characterized not only by quantitative growth, but also by constant qualitative change, expressed in a wide variety of use of buses in international tourism. A traditional type of international bus tourism is block trips, the essence of which is that programs for them are drawn up taking into account the maximum use of buses throughout the trip. Recently, combined bus tourism has been developed - route tourism and recreation, which attracts tourists with a combination of educational and recreational recreation.

Thus, bus transportation in international traffic is very popular among tourists in various countries. The main advantage of this type of transportation is the optimal price / quality ratio, which allows them to be used in mass international tourism. Currently, the global market for international bus transportation is experiencing a rapid growth in sales volumes and quality indicators of service.

There are two ways to organize irregular transportation of tourists:

1. A travel company develops a certain bus tour and entrusts the transportation to a transport organization that develops the route, performs maintenance of the flight, etc.

2. A travel company rents a bus from a transport organization (or a private person) and carries out the transportation itself. However, in this case, such a company must have a license to carry out passenger transportation in the international direction, the necessary permits, etc.

Bus companies offer the following tour packages and bus rental service:

1. Charter tours- evening service, day trips to competitions, week trips - holiday tours;

2. Accompanied tours– trips of pre-planned groups lasting from five days to one month, accompanied by a leader;

3. Independently formed groups- the tour includes visiting cities and attractions using regular buses;

4. Flexible tours– combination of bus transport with other means of transport.

The rights and obligations of the carrier and tourists are regulated by the contract for transportation, the contract for tourist services and the voucher. Bus trips can be organized on own buses owned by travel companies, as well as on rented buses owned by independent motor transport enterprises of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. Currently, only in Moscow there are more than 30 carrier companies specializing in international tourism: Old City, Avtotour-Sputnik, Avtoturtrans, Inters, Turtrans-Voyage, etc.

Car tourism and car rental. The advantage of using road transport is that it makes travelers independent in terms of time, routes, and schedules. The main forms of autotourism are:

· individual tourism- a tourist, going on a trip, knows that no one guarantees him accommodation and meals (provided that this is a long trip);

· organized tourism- trip of one or more cars according to the exact schedule and with a full range of services during stops;

· caravanning- a type of automobile tourism, in which a caravan (autocaravan) is used as a means of accommodation.

A very common service among tourists, especially on stationary and resort tours. Hertz is the leading car rental company in the world. Competing company Avis in the mid-90s. 20th century was named the best car rental company by the English magazine Institutional Investor.

Water transport infrastructure. Tourist business has different forms of travel organization and one of them is cruises. Cruise is a tourist trip on a river or sea, usually calling at ports, on board a special passenger ship. Currently, dozens of cruise companies around the world operate hundreds of passenger ships with a capacity of 70 to 2000-3000 passengers and offer exciting trips to almost any region of the world.

In fact, a cruise is a sea or river tour, the basic cost of which includes comprehensive services on board the ship. In particular: travel on the ship, accommodation in a cabin (depending on the chosen class), three meals a day, entertainment and, as a rule, a number of special events on board the ship (holidays, festivals, competitions, concerts, etc.).

The infrastructure for water activities most often includes cruise companies and cruise ships they own. The vast majority of the nearly fifty companies operating in the global cruise market are North American. But today there are no more than fifteen significant companies left, and due to the active process of their merger, this number is constantly decreasing. The top ten megacompanies include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, P&O Princess, Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Festival, Crystal. Among the main market players are approximately 85% of US companies (often sailing under the flags of other states - Panamanian, Liberian, etc.). The first three leaders - Carnival, Royal Caribbean, P&O Princess and their affiliated companies "hold" approximately 81% of the global cruise market.

Another feature of the modern cruise business is the emergence of giant ships. Leading cruise companies staged a real race of titans among themselves. In the next few years (2007-2010), about 50 new generation liners of class 4-5 * with a displacement of 70-100 thousand tons will be launched, which will replace ships built in the 80-90s. The new superliners will carry 2,500-3,000 passengers and will be equipped with shopping and restaurant arcades, casinos, ice rinks and golf courses.

There are several common classifications for passenger ships and cruise lines. The international association of cruise companies CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), as well as the leading international cruise guides "Berlitz", "Fodor" subdivide sea routes depending on the cost of a day's stay into four categories: economy, classic, premium cruises and luxury cruises ". The first in the international lists of luxury companies are Silversea Cruises, the only one with the category "six stars" and operating on the ultra all inclusive system, and offering an upscale, but more democratic Crystal vacation.

In turn, cruise ships are classified by star rating - from 1 to 6 stars and groups: Standard ("2-4 stars"), Premium ("5 stars" - "5 stars plus") and Lux ​​("6 stars"). Cruise ships are certified in 6 categories (stars). Only four ships in the world belong to the super-luxury category (6 stars). The cost of a cruise of this class is $6000-8000 per week. Here passengers are accommodated only in apartments. The cost of this cruise includes everything, including tips. Vessels of this class are designed for 200 passengers and 150 crew members.

With the development of tourism, transport routes are constantly expanding, as an increase in travel demand has an impact on the development of transport infrastructure. Transport, in turn, allows you to expand the geography of travel, i.e. there is a mutually beneficial and beneficial interaction between the two sides.

Transport services are one of the main types of services in tourism. They account for the main share in the price structure of the tour. Depending on the duration and distance of the trip, this share in most cases ranges from 20 to 60%. Despite the current variety of different modes of transport used to transport tourists during travel, neither bus, nor rail, nor long-distance water transport can compete with aviation, therefore, the main share in the overall structure of transport services belongs to air transport. The largest number of tourists traveling long distances use aviation services. At the same time, the aircraft can be called the transport of individuals, since those traveling for resort, business, entertainment, and educational purposes are individual tourists. And it is they who most often use air transport.

According to statistics, the growth rate of the popularity of air transport is higher than the growth rate of this indicator for motor transport, which is due to the increasing expansion of the geography of travel and a steady trend towards reducing travel time in favor of their frequency (an increase in short-term long-distance tours). All this causes close attention of the tourist business to air transportation.

Light aircraft, and especially helicopters that do not require a takeoff run, are a serious alternative to motor vehicles. The price of a light helicopter can be commensurate with the price of a car, and in conditions of high workload or simply in the absence of roads, the advantages of light aviation over motor transport are undeniable.

Light aviation has another significant advantage over road transport. Insurance is much cheaper. The cost of annual hull insurance for a helicopter is from 2.8%, for a light aircraft - 1.2 - 1.8%. The cost of insurance is reduced if the aircraft is equipped with technical safety equipment, if the persons admitted to piloting are highly qualified and have sufficient flight time, and in other cases.

Aviation tourism

Extremely popular in Europe, the USA, Australia are flights on light motor aircraft and helicopters, which are used for a variety of purposes, including in the field of tourism and entertainment. Unfortunately, in Russia this type of technology has not yet received widespread use.

In addition to light aircraft, flights on serious equipment are gaining more and more popularity. In many countries, aviation tourism programs have long been in stable demand among tourists. Extreme enthusiasts fly almost all types of aircraft and helicopters. A very interesting program is offered by the German travel company Alpha Travel. It begins with training flights on simulators for training pilots of the Luftgansa company in Berlin. Then the "cadets" are given the opportunity to fly on lightweight aircraft. The culmination of the program is the flight on the legendary Junkers. There are only five such aircraft in operation worldwide.

Flights on Soviet and Russian equipment, especially military ones, are in great demand among tourists. There are many Western companies that offer wealthy fans of extreme recreation to fly Russian combat aircraft in the Moscow region and even over Moscow. The cost of such programs varies depending on the technology, duration and complexity of the flight from 6-7 to 40 thousand dollars. However, there are more than enough people who want to.

The North American company Incredible Adventures, which specializes in extreme types of recreation, claims that since the early 1990s. she managed to ride on jet MiGs, "dryers" and "elks" over 2000 people.

In general, aviation tourism in our country is in its infancy. Unlike the countries of Europe and America, its initiators were not travel companies, but flying clubs, which after the crisis of the early 1990s. and the collapse of the DOSAAF system turned out to be left to their own devices, or, more simply, left to their own devices. When it became clear that “saving the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves”, in order to survive, flying clubs began to look for various ways for self-financing. It all started with familiarization flights, primarily for wealthy foreign tourists. Then the number and quality of tourist services increased noticeably. At the same time, wealthy extreme tourists appeared among our fellow citizens. The democratization of Russian society also played its role. Military departments have become more open.

Now almost anyone who has the necessary amount can make an air trip on any type of aircraft of interest to him - from the Yak of the Great Patriotic War and the "corn" to ultra-modern aircraft.

The program can include a variety of pleasures: simple flights over the airfield, flying along a specially ordered route or in the pilot area. Naturally, flights outside the airfield require mandatory approval from various departments.

Sightseeing flights on airplanes (in Khabarovsk Yak-52) with the performance of complex and aerobatics are especially popular with extreme sportsmen. But this is a real thrill, for those who want to feel like a combat pilot.

Today in Russia there are a large number of flying clubs that have the widest range of aircraft. The most famous aviator training center is the Myachkovo airfield near Moscow. Flying clubs "Captain Nesterov", "Aviatech", "FAC" and others are based here.

In recent years, aviation tourism has been actively developing in the regions, since we have a lot of military airfields and equipment from the time of the existence of the Soviet Union.

Helicopter use

A helicopter is a unique aircraft that can take off and land vertically on a small platform, hover in the air, carry out horizontal controlled flight, including in different directions - forward, backward, sideways, make turns and other aerobatics. This is a multipurpose machine. Due to its inherent advantageous design characteristics, such as: compactness, vertical take-off and landing, no need for special airfield sites, the possibility of prompt delivery of small consignments of cargo and people to hard-to-reach areas, high reliability - determines a wide scope for military and civilian purposes. In the field of tourist transportation, the helicopter is widely used:

1. For the purpose of transfer from airports, transportation of VIP passengers. The organization of the transfer stage by helicopter is highly efficient and quite comfortable, it allows you to avoid the need to use vehicles, traffic jams on the roads, and improve safety. This was especially pronounced when flying on supersonic liners. Is it worth it to use an exceptionally expensive supersonic aircraft to transport passengers and tourists to save two or three hours of flight time, and then stand in line at the immigration official, in line for luggage, or get stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the hotel. That is why all ground handling operations for passengers of supersonic liners were organized on the principles of maximum minimization of the operation time or stages, and a helicopter was used for the transfer. The helicopter moves 3-6 times faster than a car, because it flies in a straight line and does not get stuck in traffic jams. A helicopter is especially beneficial for flights over distances of up to 300 km: planes usually do not fly there, and driving a car takes a long time.

2. Currently, a new tourist service for business representatives is being developed in some tourist centers - an air taxi. Air taxi within the cities and metropolitan areas in Russia, according to the plans of the Moscow authorities, for the first time, within the framework of the program, should begin to run in Central Russia as early as 2008. True, the deputies are concerned about how attractive the program will be for private investors. Small planes will fly between the airports of medium-sized cities in Russia and transport about 3-4 people at a time.

Air taxi and air taxi are urgent flights on 4 - 8-seater planes and helicopters to any city that has airports and is located at a distance of up to 800 - 1,000 km. Its main difference from ordinary and charter VIP-flights is that for such flights small, economical aircraft with small passenger capacity are used, with a flight time of up to 3 hours and no special service on board. This achieves the necessary compromise between urgency and cost of air transportation. The minimum time for preparing the aircraft for flight allows organizing the departure of tourists within 2 hours after the receipt of the application. As a rule, such air taxi flights are possible both on light and medium class aircraft, such as the Yak-40, Beechcraft King Air 200, Pilatus PC-12, Cessna Bravo and Excel, Learjet 45 and 60, Hawker 700, and Eurocopter AS350 helicopters and model 355, Eurocopter EC120 and 130. Bell 407 and Robinson 44. An aircraft or helicopter can be delivered to almost any city where there is an operating airfield. The big advantage of air taxis, compared to commercial airlines, is the absence of lengthy check-in and boarding procedures. Passenger service through VIP-terminals allows you to minimize the time it takes to go through all the necessary formalities at the airport of departure.

Today, only one airline operates on the Russian aviation market - Dexter, which operates in the air taxi mode within 500 km from Moscow. The minimum ticket price in this company is at least 6000 rubles. one way. Despite the fact that the air taxi service today is among the most expensive, the main thing is that Russia already has a technical fleet of such aircraft and helicopters, but there is practically no legislative registration of the "air taxi": flights over Moscow are prohibited.

Air taxi is the fastest and, undoubtedly, the most convenient way to overcome distances. Air taxi services have been used by people all over the world for many years.

3. When organizing sightseeing tours in tourist centers. A bird's-eye view gives a person a completely different and unusual idea of ​​​​the appearance of architectural ensembles, centers of historical or ultra-modern urban development, palace and park buildings, and unique natural landscapes. In St. Petersburg, during the season, helicopter excursions over the city and its environs are regularly made from the Peter and Paul Fortress. Helicopter tours are organized over the Victoria Falls. During polar cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic, the vessel always has a landing pad and is equipped with a helicopter that carries out ice reconnaissance and sightseeing tours for tourists. The flight is carried out both on popular pre-prepared and on individual routes. Feeling like an air tourist is not a fantasy, but a real reality!

4. to organize the prompt delivery of tourists to remote and hard-to-reach objects of tourist display, in areas where there are no airfields and sites for small aircraft. Usually this distance is 50-300 km from the tourist center. For example, tourists are delivered by helicopters to the ice to the North Pole region, where they cover 20-25 km with a minimum of equipment on skis and with an inflatable boat to the desired point, then the tourist group is picked up by a helicopter and transported back to the continent. Delivery by helicopter of tourists is practiced in the Republic of Karelia on about. Valaam, on about. Kizhi to the monuments of cultural heritage, to the monasteries.

Today, it is not uncommon to deliver tourist groups (rafters, athletes and others) to the place of rest, the beginning and end of the rafting, the tourist route at the request of tourists. For many years, the Khabarovsk Territory has been actively developed by extreme tourists, lovers of fishing, hunting and eco-tourism.

Delivery of tourists to the beginning of the routes, carried out by helicopter, not only reduces the time of transfer, but in some cases allows you to avoid several days of rafting on calm water and pass only the most interesting part of the rivers in terms of sports. For hunters, fishermen, sportsmen and speleotourists seeking to get as far away from civilization as possible, flying in a Mi-8 helicopter is the best solution to the problem. Rafting tours for physically prepared tourists involve rafting on mountain rivers with obstacles up to the fifth category of difficulty. At the choice of tourists, it is possible to base a helicopter in the camp throughout the entire tour (fishing), daily casting of anglers to fishing places with a rotation of places, as a result of which it is possible to catch a significant (up to 45 km) length of the river during a short tour. Services involve the transfer of tourists to hard-to-reach areas, and the release (delivery from the final destination of the route). Delivery of speleologists to the places of cave exploration with all the necessary equipment. Excursion and educational caving tours are held in caves specially equipped for excursions. In such caves, tourists move along specially laid paths or by transport (for example, mini-electric locomotives), they have lighting, the routes are accompanied by qualified guides. Visiting equipped caves does not require special physical training.

5. Helicopter transfer of skiers to unprepared mountain slopes, followed by a puzzling descent - the sport of hely-ski, which is especially popular today, is becoming more widespread among extreme tourists. The essence of this type of skiing is extreme - skiers-tourists are delivered to hard-to-reach slopes by helicopter and can enjoy an unforgettable off-piste descent on virgin snow. In a few minutes, the helicopter delivers to the top, and experienced guides accompany tourists during the entire flight and descent. Helicopter crews have extensive experience in the mountains. You don't have to be a professional athlete to practice hely-ski. A distinctive feature of the hely-ski programs is the uniqueness of the descents: each new descent is not like the previous one, it takes place on a new, "untouched" slope. During the day, it is possible to make from 6 descents or more, the total elevation difference will be almost 6000 m! The nature of the relief is varied - snow fields, ridges and couloirs. Hely-ski tour programs are offered in Kyrgyzstan, Andorra (a tiny triangle sandwiched between France and Spain), Kamchatka with its seven-day program of descents along the slopes of the volcanoes Aag, Arik, Vilyuchinsky, Koryaksky and others.

6. to organize the search and rescue of tourists in case of accidents or natural disasters. On ice fishing in the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga Thousands of fishermen are rescued by helicopter every year. An hour of EMERCOM helicopter operation costs more than a thousand US dollars.

Light aircraft

Light aircraft, baby planes. Most often propeller-driven, mono- or biplanes, with a capacity of 1 to 10 people. Used in local, agricultural, postal, sports and private (small) aviation. The latter is historically absent in Russia for political and economic reasons and the legal norms of the Air Code. In the post-perestroika period, the legal position regarding private aviation softened somewhat, but it did not develop, with the exception of isolated cases. The maximum that homemade inventors are capable of is to create a steam engine or a hang glider with a light engine. Nevertheless, individual designs of light aircraft, for example, for sports purposes, are mass-produced in Russia and are considered among the best in the world.

To date, few light aircraft are used in tourism, but a special place is given to a unique machine that has proved to be in demand anywhere and at all times - this is the domestic An-2 light multi-purpose aircraft, which in September 2007 turned 60 years old. An-2 has good takeoff and landing characteristics, simple and reliable design. It is easy to pilot and maintain on the ground, and can be operated from almost any airfield. Thanks to these qualities, the An-2 aircraft began to be used in the national economy not only for the chemical treatment of fields and forests, but also for servicing expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic, conducting aerial photography and geological exploration, extinguishing forest and peat fires, for training paratroopers, and transporting passengers. , cargo and mail on local air lines, as well as for medical care of the population in remote areas and other purposes. With the help of An-2, reconnaissance of animals, birds and fish was carried out to assist hunters and fishermen. Having received the An-2, Aeroflot significantly expanded the network of local airlines. An-2P aircraft have mastered flights to the Far North, remote areas of Siberia and the Far East.

There are many new samples of light-engine aviation equipment of domestic manufacturers, the use of which in tourism is seen as very promising. One of these is the Accord-201 aircraft. This aircraft has the legal status of a multi-purpose aircraft capable of operating in a wide range of geographic and climatic conditions.

In the basic version, the aircraft is equipped with two adjustable seats for a pilot and a passenger (or for two pilots), two double seats and one folding seat. The second and third rows of seats can be quickly removed, replacing them with a cargo safety net, aerial photography equipment, etc. Two large passenger doors on both sides of the fuselage and a large cargo hatch in the rear of the cabin facilitate loading and unloading operations, and also provide an opportunity for paratroopers to eject. Accord-201 is also suitable for aviation tourism of small groups of travelers on the principle of "aircraft with you", which is very popular all over the world today.

It is quite appropriate to call the aircraft an air "SUV", since VIP, cargo, amphibian, ski, patrol, aerial photography, etc. variants were created on the basis of the basic transport model. To do this, depending on the purpose and wishes of the buyer, in addition to the currently certified version, floats, skis, as well as photo and radio scanning equipment, other special research equipment, devices for parachute landing and much more can be installed on the aircraft. The float chassis deserves special attention, the design of which includes a remote-controlled drive that allows you to raise and lower the floats in flight. Thanks to this, the Accord-201 can take off from land and land on water, or vice versa.

Another indisputable advantage of the aircraft is that it is easy to transport, having previously dismantled the wing consoles and plumage. This can be done both by road and by rail, river, sea or air transport. The aircraft is easy to tow on the airfield, and even a Zhiguli can be used as a tractor.

The Accord-201 will be mass-produced at a specially built aviation plant in Nizhny Novgorod, equipped with the appropriate modern production equipment. Thanks to the new enterprise, additional jobs will appear in the city, which is also important socially.

A seaplane or hydroplane (flying boat, seaplane) is an aircraft designed to take off from and land on water. A distinction is made between a flying boat (the hull is in the shape of a boat; it provides takeoff, landing and maintenance of a seaplane on the water), an amphibian (with a wheeled chassis for landing on land) and a floatplane (floats are installed instead of wheels). The seaplane has a waterproof streamlined hull and floats on the wings, allowing for takeoff from the water surface and landing on the water. It is widely used for delivering tourists to small tropical islands and lake spaces, as well as for flights between islands. In Savonlinna (Finland), on Lake Saimaa, there is a seaplane for sightseeing flights over a beautiful lake with a large number of islands, over a city and an old fortress. Tourists can look at the area from a bird's eye view, take unique photographs.

Tourists are offered several types of excursions on seaplanes: a short excursion for filming from the air of the islands and their surrounding lagoons, coral reefs and, if possible, huge rays and schools of dolphins; excursions to distant islands and other atolls: visiting a fishing village, uninhabited islands with a barbecue lunch, nearby tourist resorts. Flying over the islands in a seaplane is one of the most exhilarating holiday experiences. Particularly widespread in various areas of tourism activities were in Greece (between the Greek islands), the Maldives, Fiji and other island states.

Seaplanes are usually small propeller designs, but there are examples of seaplanes with turbojet engines. A unique Russian aircraft of the BE series was shown at the air show in Gelendzhik (Russia) in 2000 - this is the Be-103 amphibious aircraft, which is produced by one of the world's leading manufacturers of tactical aircraft - KnAAPO (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Production Association) . The light multi-purpose, 6-seat amphibious aircraft Be-103 (Beriev) is intended for use on short lines in various regions of the world, especially in coastal and island states of Southeast Asia, Oceania, Australia, North and Latin America, which have long coastal areas: regions with a large number of rivers, lakes, shallow water bodies, difficult to access for other modes of transport. It is ideal for extreme types of tourism directly related to water.

Today, almost all charter companies take a wait-and-see attitude towards very light aircraft (VLJ). Even carriers who say they would never use such aircraft admit that VLJs could benefit their business by getting more customers on charter flights.

For the big players, extra-light aircraft represent a completely new market segment. From a management point of view, this is good: it means new infrastructure, staff training, maintenance facilities, etc. All this is good for the industry as a whole. However, as far as charter flights are concerned, it should be noted that many of the clients would not want to use particularly light aircraft.

It should be assumed that due to the ease of use and the presence of underserved territories, especially light aircraft will still be in demand. When people living there get a taste of affordable charter flights, it will be difficult for these people to return to commercial flights. The flow of passengers is growing, and, naturally, some of them will have to use especially light aircraft. Nevertheless, at present, the companies do not plan to take control of especially light aircraft for charter flights.

However, as far as small operating companies are concerned, extra light aircraft will prove to be useful for them, since they can lead to the emergence of a new group of companies capable of working with small airports, the load on which is small. This may mean diversifying and expanding the industry, rather than consolidating and expanding it, as the advent of such aircraft will expand the capabilities of many operators. VLJs are great for day trips, which account for up to 65% of total domestic charter flights, so they fit right in with the existing market. In addition, such aircraft will provide charter operators with another option to solve the problem of ferry flights.

Gliding

"Youth - to the gliders!" This popular slogan in the first half of the 20th century, which called on young men and women to master aviation technology, is almost forgotten today. And in the 1920s and 1930s. gliding was considered the second step in obtaining the profession of a pilot. This sport was practiced by tens of thousands of people across the country.

The glider is one of the lightest aircraft. Since it does not have a motor, in order to fly, the device must first be accelerated to a certain speed. This is done either by towing it with a rope by another aircraft, or from the ground by a car or a special tensioning device. When the necessary speed of movement is reached, which provides lift, the cable is unhooked, and the glider soars freely in the air.

Flying a glider requires certain flying skills, abilities and pilot training. Such training necessarily includes obtaining a certificate. The maintenance and service of gliders, the organization of flights, the training of pilots is carried out in flying clubs. There are hundreds of gliding centers in the US and Europe.

In Russia today, glider flights attract only a few enthusiasts. At the same time, in the states of Western and Eastern Europe, in America, gliding is one of the most popular types of outdoor activities, the interest in which is constantly growing. And this is not surprising, because almost everyone knows the desire to fly. When choosing between an airplane and a glider, you can see that the latter has a number of advantages. This sport is extreme, but it is relatively safe - the glider cannot catch fire, due to the lack of a propeller, leaving it with a parachute does not cause great difficulties, and the requirements for the landing site of the glider are much less stringent.

Until the early 1990s. gliding classes include mainly such disciplines as flying at speed, over distance, along routes. The successes achieved by glider pilots are impressive. For example, the world record for glider flight distance is 3000 km - the distance between Moscow and Novosibirsk.

In the last 15 years, a new concept has appeared in gliding sport - "aerobatics on a glider", i.e. aerial acrobatics. Today it is the main sport discipline. It may seem surprising, but modern aerobatic gliders - Polish Swifts, Foxes and others - can perform absolutely all complex and aerobatic maneuvers available to sports aircraft.

Currently, the World Gliding Aerobatics Championships (WGAC) are held annually. This spectacular event is held by Hungary, Sweden, USA, Spain, Great Britain. The Russian team in the championships traditionally wins prizes. This is not surprising, given the specifics of the training of our aerobatic glider pilots - almost all of them "transferred" to gliders from acrobatic aircraft.

In 2005, the WGAC was held for the first time in our country at the Drakino airfield near Moscow, located not far from Serpukhov. More than 60 athletes from Poland, Hungary, France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands announced their participation in the competition. The organizers of the competition expect that, in addition to purely sporting interest, the event will contribute to the strengthening of the tourist attractiveness of the Moscow region and the development of infrastructure for outdoor activities. The competition program includes the following events. Within three days before the start of the official program of the championship, an extensive program of performances by paratroopers, light aircraft, Air Force fighters, and the launch of balloons is planned here. At the airfield in Drakino, a two-story hotel for 70-75 people is being built for participants in the competition, as well as a house for judges, a catering point.

The championship will attract the attention of tourists. In the future, on the basis of the renovated Drakin and the complex of buildings located on its territory, it is planned to organize a center for extreme technical sports, mainly related to aviation. Tracks for cyclists, skateboarders and roller skaters will also be built, as well as a wall for training and rock climbing competitions.

Equestrian and paintball clubs, saunas, gyms and tennis courts will start working. Active recreation can be combined with a rich excursion and educational program, since the Serpukhov land is rich in historical and cultural monuments.

A very common aircraft is a hang glider. For its flight, acceleration from a mountain, land or water is required by towing by a car or boat. In order to expand the possibility of flights and reduce dependence on air currents, light propeller motors are often installed on hang gliders.

paragliding

Paragliding is a sport for young at heart and financially well off people. Tourists-athletes need a lot of special and very expensive equipment: a dome worth from one to four thousand euros, a suspension system where the athlete is during the flight, and uniforms - a helmet, overalls, special boots. A complete outfit for a beginner paraglider costs at least two thousand euros. Many foreign hotels offer tourists paragliding as a service.

Currently, world paragliding championships are being held, including separate ones for women, in which Russians show very good results. The main goal of paragliding competitions is to fly to the finish line as quickly as possible, having done a certain, predetermined route of several kilometers. In recent years, acrobatics on paragliders have appeared. This requires tremendous professionalism from the pilot, but it looks very beautiful and spectacular.

Ballooning

A unique, but also expensive type of air travel is ballooning, or tours in hot air balloons. One of the most popular varieties is airship travel. An airship, unlike a balloon, is equipped with propellers, motors and a complex control system, so flights on it are much more purposeful and depend not only on air currents, but also largely on pilots.

Since the late 1960s widespread air travel. Dozens of hot air balloon clubs have been established around the world. Balloon festivals are held annually in many countries. As a rule, the program of such festivals necessarily includes races on this rather dangerous form of transport.

Flights in hot air balloons, airships, gliders, paragliders or hang gliders not only allow you to admire the beautiful views, get an unforgettable experience and make unique photo and video recordings (for example, flying over waterfalls or volcano craters). They are very often used for various scientific and economic purposes, for the study of places that are practically inaccessible in other ways.

Pereslavl-Zalessky annually hosts the traditional festival of aeronauts "Golden Ring of Russia", where Russian and foreign participants demonstrate flights of hot air balloons over the cities of the Golden Ring. During the festival, night shows of the glow of balloons and the concert and entertainment program "Air Fiesta" are held.

Parachuting

One of the extreme sports and tourism is parachuting, or skydiving. Skydiving is very popular all over the world among various categories of tourists. This sport is available to almost everyone (naturally, with the exception of people with medical contraindications), including the elderly and the disabled.

In addition to simple jumps, such as tandem jumps with an instructor or from a standard height, there are more extreme types of parachuting. Among them, the most famous are long jumps, jumps from a low altitude (800 m) with forced opening of a parachute, etc.

To engage in this type of sports tourism, it is necessary to master the basic techniques and skills of free fall, control and maneuvering of both a parachute and one's own body in flight, and then obtain a license that allows parachuting.

New types of parachuting entertainment are skysur-fing - free flight using a wide ski from a snowboard, as well as acrobatic stunts and somersaults in free flight. One of the most dangerous, but at the same time beautiful and exciting spectacles is air freestyle.

In addition to the actual parachuting, the parachute is used in other tours. With its help, groups of tourists land in hard-to-reach areas, such as mountains, jungles, and the North Pole. Skydiving is carried out not only from aircraft, but also from high cliffs and mountain slopes.

One option for parachuting is paramotoring. In this case, the skydiver attaches a light motor to his back, which, in the presence of powerful air currents, allows you to make fairly long parachute flights.

As you can see, human imagination is limitless - professional designers and enthusiasts have already invented many ways to move through the air - on balloons, airships, gliders, hang gliders, parachutes, paragliders, paramotors, seaplanes, helicopters, as well as aircraft of various purposes and models (from the "corn" to a supersonic fighter) - and almost all of them are used in one way or another in the field of tourism, recreation and entertainment.

According to statistics, the growth rate of the popularity of air transport is higher than that of road transport, which is due to the increasing expansion of the geography of travel and the existing steady trend to reduce travel time in favor of their frequency (growth of short-term long-distance tours). All this causes close attention of the tourist business to air transportation. Airplanes are the most popular mode of transport in the world. The same can be said about air travel in tourism. And there are a number of reasons for this:

Firstly, aviation is the fastest and most convenient mode of transport when traveling over long distances;
- secondly, the service on flights currently has an attractive appearance for tourists;
- thirdly, airline companies directly and through international booking and reservation networks pay commissions to travel agencies for each seat booked on the plane, thereby motivating them to choose air transportation

Air transport is one of the fastest and most dynamically developing sectors of the world economy and every year it occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system.

Now there are more than 1300 airlines in the world. On average, about 1.5 billion people are transported on flights annually. Over 470 carriers now provide international air services, about 250 of them operate international regular flights. More than 1 thousand airports of the world participate in servicing international air communications, about 650 of them serve international scheduled air transportation

The largest airlines in the world in terms of the number of flights are the American Delta Air lines, Pan Amerikan, United, the French Air France, the German Lufthansa, the British British Airways, and others. The Russian Aeroflot is considered a major airline.

However, the international air transport system is made up not only by international air carriers and airports, but also by states connected by international air lines and providing these communications, as well as international organizations in the field of air transport, taking measures to ensure its effective functioning and safety.

The network of international transportation currently covers all geographic regions and more than 150 countries of the world

Air transport is regulated in three ways:

1) national regulation - licensing of air carriers operating both on domestic and international routes;
2) intergovernmental regulation - when regular air routes are based on agreements between the governments of the respective countries;
3) international regulation - when tariffs for scheduled flights are set (for airline members) on the basis of mutual agreements between participating airlines through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) or a third party

One type of international air travel regulation is plans to create a pool that connects airlines operating on certain international routes.

A pool agreement connects airlines operating on the same international routes in order to optimize aircraft schedules, reduce the direction and regulate passenger flows during peak hours and periods, as well as in order to increase profits on these routes and its further distribution between airlines

A pool agreement could in principle lead to the elimination of competition along the route. But it also means that companies of all sizes will be able to participate in transportation on the lines. Pool agreements are often entered into between airlines of disparate size in order to provide them with the best possible transportation opportunities and profits. Financing agreements between pooled carriers typically cap the maximum amount of revenue that can be transferred from one carrier to another to reduce the government's ability to support inefficient carriers. In some countries, however, pool contracts are currently prohibited (for example, in the USA)

International regulation of air transportation is carried out on the basis of international agreements signed between countries over many years.

The Warsaw Convention of 1929 was the first general agreement between airlines concerning the issues of ensuring the responsibility of airlines for the safety of passengers in the event of their death, injury or loss of luggage during carriage. (The Montreal Protocol later determined that the maximum liability will be periodically reviewed due to inflationary processes. Today, the airline's liability to the passenger is a maximum of 20 thousand US dollars.) This agreement is the basis for insuring passengers, mail and baggage on international air transportation.

The Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation of 1944, in which 80 countries took part in the discussion on the adoption, contains an agreement on the standardization of air service migration procedures between countries. These principles were adopted to provide the basis for bilateral agreements between countries. The agreement agreed not to regulate charter flights, allowing countries to apply individual regulation and conditions under which they accept and operate charter flights.

The Bermuda Agreement of 1946 Anglo-American on transatlantic flights regulated bilateral agreements on these routes. In 1977, the Bermuda Agreement was revised (and ratified in 1980), in 1986 the new agreement expanded the actual load on routes across the Atlantic, limited to two British and two American carriers

Since air transport occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system every year, the need for its global coordination and regulation has long arose. These issues are dealt with by international aviation organizations. Consider the most influential and famous of them.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one of the first most respected and authoritative world structures. ICAO members are 183 states. ICAO works closely with other organizations such as the United Nations Community, World Meteorological Organization, International Union of Electrical Communications, World Post Union, World Health Organization, International Sea Organization.

The International Association of Air Transportation - I ATA - was established to coordinate the actions of world airlines aimed at ensuring the safety and efficiency of air transport in all regions of the globe. Founded in 1919 and reorganized in 1945, IATA is the professional association of aviation companies operating international flights. The main function performed by the Association is the regulation of international commercial air traffic, the introduction of uniform rules and procedures for all members and the establishment of agreed tariffs for passenger transportation on international routes.

Travel agencies participate in the activities of IATA through its special branch - the International Travel Agents Network (IATAN), the International Organization of Airline Agents, as well as through international organizations of civil airports

As part of the organization of tourist travel, there are several forms of interaction between travel companies and airlines:

Reservation of seats and purchase of air tickets through airline agencies;
- reservation of seats and redemption of air tickets through booking systems;
- an agreement with the airline for a quota of seats on regular airlines;
- agency agreement and work as an agency for the sale of air tickets for their tourists;
- organization of charter flights for tourist transportation

In order to correctly choose the most convenient and profitable section of tourist transportation, as well as competently conclude a contract for air transportation of tourists, you need to know all the features, advantages and disadvantages of this or that type of interaction with the airline

The travel agent also needs to know the rules for booking air tickets, working with stocks, fares and discounts provided by airlines.

Requirements of professional ethics when booking air tickets. In order to avoid additional inconvenience for air carriers, as well as to facilitate the booking process and improve the quality of passenger service, travel agents should adhere to the following simple rules:

Follow standard airline booking procedures
- Never book a double booking for a passenger if he cannot decide which flight to take. Moreover, never issue two or more tickets for such a passenger if it is obvious that he will be able to use only one of them.
- Regardless of the passenger's itinerary, be sure to try, to the extent possible, to provide the airline with telephone numbers for emergency contact with the passenger along the way
- In the event of a change in itinerary by a passenger, immediately cancel the relevant booking with the airline, as well as refuse all other related services that are not required
- Strictly adhere to the deadlines and procedures required by air carriers for issuing tickets. Never issue tickets with a guaranteed seat until this guarantee has been confirmed by the respective airline.
- All seats booked with airlines must be accurately recorded and properly documented. The documents being drawn up and the copies remaining with the agent must contain an indication of the flight number, date and class of flight, the status (guaranteed / non-guaranteed seat) of each individual flight, the names and initials of passengers and their contact numbers or addresses. Report immediately in the prescribed form on receipt of all deposits

Always remember that the convenience of passengers and the normal operation of other agents and airlines depend on your efficiency, accuracy and courtesy.

Agreement on a quota of seats on regular flights. A seat quota, or otherwise a block of seats, can be either hard or soft. This affects the terms of the contract and special benefits and discounts. With a strict quota of places, the entire responsibility for the non-sale of block places lies with the travel company, regardless of the reason for the non-sale. The travel agency bears the financial losses. With a soft quota of places, the terms for the possible refusal of a travel company from a quota or part of a quota of places due to non-sale of tourist vouchers are set. These terms provide for the possibility of further sale of these seats by the airline itself or its other agents.

The contract with the airline for a quota of seats on regular flights includes:

Schedule of functioning of tours in the direction "there" and "back" with indication of destinations;
- number of tourists in each group (quota of seats);
- deadlines for filing applications and redemption of air tickets;
- deadlines for canceling tickets orders without withholding fines (soft block);
- types of fares for purchased tickets, preferential fares, conditions for granting preferential fares;
- discounts and benefits for the quota of seats;
- the procedure and terms for the return of purchased but unused tickets, liability arising from the terms of return (soft block).

Agency agreement with the airline. In principle, some airlines consider as their agents all travel companies that have an agreement with them for a quota of seats. However, in its purest form, an agency agreement is work with stocks, i.e. when a travel company gets the opportunity to independently act as an airline ticket sales agency (both for its tourists and just for sale), which simplifies and speeds up the procedures for booking and issuing travel passes documents. The travel company itself acts as the "ticket sales office" of the airline, that is, it issues tickets itself and has the appropriate computer equipment and the right to access the booking network of this airline (for example, Gabriel at Aeroflot). This type of work with air tickets is called "work with a stock of air tickets".

The airline, represented by this travel agency, has an additional point of sale (one of the conditions of the agency agreement is usually the preferential sale of tickets for this particular airline for tours)

The agency agreement with the airline provides for the following issues:

Who and under what conditions provides equipment for issuing air tickets, air ticket forms;
- training of personnel for the maintenance of this equipment;
- sales volumes are most often set individually - by the number of tickets per month (for example, at least 10/200 tickets per month) or by sales revenue (from 10 to 200 thousand US dollars or more in different airlines);
- limits of possible sales (regionally or by consumer segments);
- at what price tickets are sold - at the price of an airline or at the price of a travel agency (most often at the price of an airline);
- prices and tariffs for the sale of air tickets;
- terms of payment for air tickets prepayment or payment as they are sold (for stock agents in some airlines, prepayment is set for groups of tourists);
- the amount of commission for the sale of air tickets (up to 9% of the fare sold);
- the timing and regularity of submission of airline reports, their form and the documentation required in the application (usually 1 or 2 times a month);
- the amount of bank guarantees in favor of the airline or IATA (from USD 20,000);
- Membership in IATA.

Charter (aircraft rental). When organizing charter air transportation, the customer determines the route with the airline, the obligations of the parties are negotiated with him, the compliance of the lease agreement with international rules is clarified, and the cost of the flight is determined. Then a special charter agreement is concluded, which stipulates:

Type (brand) of the aircraft;
- number of places for sale;
- the cost of renting an aircraft;
- itinerary indicating the airports of departure and arrival;
- duration of the contract (season, year, etc.);
- regularity of flights;
- the possibility and deadlines for the cancellation (cancellation) of the flight and the corresponding sanctions

The peculiarity of charters is that one full flight (the second and penultimate flights - the first return after the first arrival and the last one there before the last export) is carried out without tourists: on the last flight, the plane picks up the last tourists, but does not bring new ones, since it is no longer behind them. will return (i.e., for 10 tourist arrivals there are 11 flights). The formula N + 1 applies here. Thus, the largest number of flights during the period of the air charter program reduces the cost of a "drop-down" flight, and therefore reduces the transportation rate

It should be noted that it is realistic to organize 20 races per season (with weekly flights). However, a charter can be launched with a frequency of 2 times a week - then the number of flights per season increases to 40. This significantly reduces the tariff, but is not available for the absolute majority of travel companies. This explains the emergence of “intermediate” entrepreneurs in the tourist transportation market - wholesalers (wholesalers), consolidating large charters in their hands and distributing them in the future among smaller firms in the form of block charters (i.e., 10-30 seats ). As a rule, the tour operator-wholesaler sells blocks of seats on his charter according to three proven options: hard, soft and combined blocks of seats.

A soft block, in which the customer does not have any financial responsibility and has the right to completely or partially refuse their seats within a predetermined timeframe, is more convenient for the travel agent. However, if the refusal occurs later than the deadline, the customer will have to pay a fine. Usually, soft blocks are used quite rarely, since they are not always beneficial to the charter holder (be it an airline or a wholesaler tour operator).

The rigid block provides for strict contractual obligations on the terms of sale and payment. The customer makes an advance payment, the amount of which usually includes the sum of the cost of two paired flights. At the same time, tariffs for the implementation of a hard block are approximately 5-10% lower than for the implementation of a soft block. In addition, with a contract for a hard block, the operator and agent fix the price for the entire charter period, which gives the sellers a good opportunity to vary prices during the “high” period of the season and at the end of it.

The most common sale of seats on charter flights is the so-called combined method, which combines elements of the two above-mentioned options. The total number of places included in the block being sold is divided in a certain proportion into two parts: one of which is sold according to the "hard" system, and the other - according to the "soft" system.

Often, not one, but several tour operators act as the initiator of the charter program. At the same time, they agree in advance among themselves the conditions for organizing flights.

Normal relations with airlines when renting an aircraft provide for its payment in accordance with the contract with a mandatory balance sheet after each flight

Charter flights must not be in conflict with the requirements of the Warsaw International Convention on the obligations of the carrier to the passenger

When signing a charter agreement, the airline almost always puts the tour operator in tough conditions. First of all, the company requires an advance payment. Whatever its maximum size, the airline always insists that the first and last flights of the charter cycle be paid in advance. Thus, it insures itself and previously imported tourists against possible non-payments. Payment for flights is negotiated in advance and is made, as a rule, 7-10 days before the start of the flight. In case of late payment, according to the contract, the company has the right to impose penalties on the customer or terminate the existing contractual relationship with him

All rules of air transportation in our country are regulated by the Air Code of the Russian Federation of March 19, 1977, as well as a number of international agreements. The main body coordinating air transportation in Russia is the Federal Air Transport Service (FSVT)

There are currently 315 airlines operating in the air transportation market in Russia. Of these, 96 have licenses for regular flights and carry 99% of the total volume of air passengers.

Carriage volumes are unevenly distributed between airlines The eighteen largest airlines in Russia carry about 75% of passengers, and the aircraft of eight or nine "supergiants" ferry up to 50% of Russian travelers. 94 scheduled airlines serve approximately 23% of passengers. And the remaining 276 airlines, performing, as a rule, one-time flights, account for about 1% of passenger traffic.

Aeroflot remains the undisputed leader of the Russian aviation business. Aeroflot Russian International Airlines is the national flag carrier of Russia. The company, as a rule, has more than two times more customers than the second number - the production association Domodedovo Airlines

Recently, Russian airlines have begun to create aviation alliances. For example, in February 1998, two leading Russian airlines - Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines and Pulkovo - signed an agreement on a strategic aviation alliance. In the same year, Aeroflot signed cooperation agreements with Uzbekistan Airways and Armenian Airlines.

At the end of 1997, the Russian airline "Transaero" and the Uzbek national carrier "Uzbekiston Havo Iullari" announced the merger and coordination of their activities in the air transportation market. The new aviation association was named "CIS-alliance". Transaero also has code-sharing agreements with the Czech company CSA on the Moscow-Karlovy Vary route and with the Latvian Air Baltic on the Moscow-Riga route. In February 1999, Transaero and Krasnoyarsk Airlines signed an agreement on the joint operation of the routes Moscow - Krasnoyarsk, Moscow - Norilsk and Moscow - Krasnoyarsk - Vladivostok