Global Tourism Geography and Airline Connectivity

Giao Ha Nam Khanh ()
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Giao Ha Nam Khanh: Vietnam Aviation Academy (VAA)

A chapter in Airlines and Tour Operations, 2026, pp 175-204 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter explores the dynamic intersection of global tourism geography and the evolving architecture of airline connectivity, emphasizing their interdependence in shaping international travel patterns and economic development. As air transport continues to serve as the primary mode for international tourist arrivals, facilitating over 58% of cross-border travel according to the UNWTO (2023), understanding its spatial, economic, and infrastructural dimensions becomes essential to tour planning and destination development. The chapter begins with an analysis of tourism geography, examining how accessibility, geopolitical relationships, and cultural appeal influence travel flows across world regions. It then investigates the role of airline networks, including hub-and-spoke vs. point-to-point models in structuring these flows, highlighting the transformative impact of low-cost carriers (LCCs) in unlocking underserved markets and decentralizing tourism benefits. Drawing from IATA’s (2023) Global Connectivity Index, the chapter provides a regional breakdown of air access disparities and their implications for tourism competitiveness. Additionally, the chapter assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global connectivity, emphasizing the fragility of international tourism systems and the strategic adaptations made by airlines, such as fleet resizing, digital health verification, and flexible scheduling. The discussion further extends to the environmental considerations of air tourism, including emissions management under CORSIA and the emergence of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). The final section forecasts future trends in tourism geography, where digital innovation, environmental stewardship, and geopolitical cooperation are positioned as critical drivers of resilient, equitable, and sustainable tourism networks. By aligning geographic analysis with aviation economics and regulatory insight, this chapter equips readers with a comprehensive understanding of how air connectivity underpins global tourism mobility. It provides both conceptual frameworks and real-world applications for planners, policymakers, and tour operators seeking to design efficient and sustainable air-tourism systems in a post-pandemic world.

Keywords: Global tourism geography; Airline connectivity; International air transport; Tourism flow patterns; Hub-and-spoke networks; Point-to-Point airline models; Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs); Tourism infrastructure; Spatial distribution of tourists; Air route development; Global mobility corridors; Tourism accessibility; COVID-19 travel impact; Post-pandemic airline strategy; Sustainable tourism networks; Aviation geography; Air travel demand forecasting; Geopolitical travel barriers; Aviation policy and tourism; Digital air travel innovation; UNWTO tourism regions; IATA connectivity index; Air transport and regional development; Tourism and environmental impact; Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-95-1830-2_7

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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-1830-2_7

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