Edinburgh Napier University

  Tourism and mobility feed one another, and the same principle applies on air travel. International tourism arrivals by air account for almost 60%. While it can be argued that the world today is well
interconnected, there are still inequalities in air connectivity. Indirect and direct connectivity for instance impact the accessibility of a tourism destination and at the same time a destination’s attractiveness impacts its accessibility. Several tourism destinations are impacted by the air connectivity type that is available in their nearby or serving airport of their region or proximity. At the same time, airline business models have evolved, and it is highly likely that this transformation will continue to unfold since the market and the passengers’ needs are constantly evolving. The introduction of long-range medium size aircraft might change the way connectivity
used to operate till now. This paper explores the future of air connectivity following the introduction of these aircraft types.