Transport infrastructure of Spain as a factor in tourism development

Abstract

This article considers features of functioning of a modern transport network. Transport is an important area of infrastructure supply for the population and the state economy, the key function of which is the movement of people and goods. The current transport complex is subject to contradictory trends: as an infrastructure industry, transport is located in a position dependent on the production of social goods, and as a special sector of the economy, transport has an important impact on the regional location of production capacity and participates in the process of reproduction part of the system of economic relations. The importance of transport infrastructure in the economy, its development and operating conditions are difficult to overestimate. After all, it is the basis of the supporting framework of territorial social systems of any level. On the current state, level and opportunities for the development of the transport infrastructure depends not only the social and economic growth of territorial economic systems, but also their spatial development. Tourism plays a significant role in the development of transport infrastructure. Europe is one of the most attractive regions for tourists in the world. In turn, Spain is one of the most popular destinations for tourists from around the world as well as for European tourists. Spain plays an important role in tourist traffic in Europe. This is facilitated by its efficient transport and geographical location, developed production infrastructure, as well as historical aspects. Spain is a key country of transit by air and sea with the Americas. The flat terrain promotes the development of road and rail passenger transport across the centre of the country. And given the attractiveness to tourists and direction of tourist flows to the regions of the country, the study of geographical features of transport infrastructure is quite relevant. The peculiarities of the functioning and formation of the transport infrastructure of Spain are considered. The geographical features of the development of the infrastructure of railway, road and sea and air transport of Spain are analyzed. As for the terminals in the regions of Spain, their number also corresponds to the number of airports. Therefore, the largest number of terminals is in the Canary Islands – 9 (all airports have one terminal, except Lanzarote). There are 8 terminals in the airports of Andalusia, where all airports except Malaga have one terminal, in Malaga there are three. The two Madrid airports have 6 terminals, but 5 of them are located at the country's main airport – Madrid-Barajas. Catalonia's airports have 5 terminals, two of which are located in Barcelona El Prat. There are 4 terminals in Galicia – one each in Vigo and La Coruna and two in Santiago de Compostela. There are 4 terminals in Galicia – one each in Vigo and La Coruna and two in Santiago de Compostela. In all other regions, the number of terminals is proportional to the number of airports. An assessment of the level of development of transport infrastructure for tourism in the regions of Spain was conducted. On the basis of quantitative indicators of the analysis of the transport infrastructure of Spain, a point assessment of the level of development of the transport infrastructure of the country’s regions for the needs of tourism was carried out. Administrative units are divided into 5 groups: with the highest, high, sufficient, medium and low level of development of transport infrastructure for tourism. Transport infrastructure is most developed in the tourist regions of the country – Catalonia, Andalusia, Madrid, the Canary and Balearic Islands.