Up to the beginning of the twentieth century, tourists travelled almost exclusively by rail and steamship. The invention of the new transport medium, travel by a private car and coach received its first impetus in the ten years which preceded World War I.
The entire shape of the tourist industry was therefore transformed by the invention of this new transport medium. The growth of the private car may be identified as a major cause of the decline of the railways.
Road transport not only requires less initial capital investment, the cost of operation and maintenance is also comparatively less. Even if the rate charged by motor transport is a little higher than that by the railways, the actual effective cost of transporting goods by motor transport is less. The actual cost is less because the motor transport saves in packing costs and the expenses of intermediate loading, unloading and handling charges.
Road transport has a great advantage over other modes of transport for its flexible service, its routes and timings can be adjusted and changed to individual requirements without much inconvenience