Unit 8 Long-haul travel destinations
P3, M1, D1
Introduction:
In this assignment I will explain how factors affect travel to long-haul destinations; I will review how
travel factors affect travel to selected long-haul destinations and I will analyse the impact of travel
factors on selected long-haul destinations.
Time Zones and Length of Flight
When you travel through around the globe you will go through different time zones. A time zone is
where a region sets it time in relation to a world standard time. World standard time is also known
as GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). GMT can also be known as Zulu or UTC (Universal Coordinated
Time). Here is a table which makes it a bit easier to understand. As you travel west (towards
America) it takes you back one day and as you travel east (towards Asia and Australasia) it takes your
forward one day.
For example when the time is 4pm in the UK it is Midnight in Beijing and 11am in the morning in
New York. DST (Day Light Saving Time) has been adapted in most regions in the world. In the UK our
DST is called British Summer Time. DST is the practice of setting the clocks forward 1 hour from
standard time during the summer months, and back again in the fall, in order to make better use of
natural daylight. The International Date Line (IDL) passes through the mid-Pacific Ocean and roughly
follows a 180 degrees longitude north-south line on the Earth.
When travelling to long-haul destinations the length of the flight is going to be long, hence the name
long-haul. Flying from the UK to Los Angeles (flying west) takes between 10-11 hours depending on
wind. Both time zones and the length of flight will have an effect on UK travellers as it will cause
them to have jet lag. Here is how the NHS has described jet lag. ‘’Jet lag refers to a range of
symptoms experienced while adapting to a different light-dark schedule following a flight to a new
time zone. It can affect people of all ages and is the result of your internal body clock not being able
to adjust immediately to a new time zone. Jet lag can disturb your sleep at night and make you feel
drowsy and lethargic (lacking in energy) during the day. It can also sometimes cause digestion
problems. Crossing seven to 12 time zones usually results in more severe jet lag than crossing three
to six time zones. Crossing one or two time zones doesn't usually cause any problems.’’
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