Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
extend the distance travelled, which is again inconsistent with the low-carbon
travel scenario and also with engaging with the immediate destination area.
Third, there are a variety of other negative environmental and social impacts
of car-based travel.
The camper van also needs to be considered at this point. Camper vans
are larger than the average car and generally have comparatively poor fuel
consumption. Driven by consumer demand in some quarters, camper van
manufacturers have tried to address this, and LPG vehicles are now available
that are more efficient. Even so, given the relative size and weight of the vehi-
cles, due to equipment carried, they are much less fuel-efficient than cars
relative to the number of people travelling and have a higher carbon footprint
per passenger km. Camper vans do, however, provide travel and destination
experiences, the travel is at a relatively slow pace, and some members of the
camper van community see engagement with the natural environment as a
core component and have strong environmental concerns. During exploratory
research by Dickinson (2008), several potential participants came forward to
discuss their slow travel experiences using a camper van. Therefore, within the
camper van community, some consider it as slow travel. However, there is
much against the inclusion of camper van tourism within slow travel. First,
the same considerations for the car apply to camper van tourism and it is likely
to have an even higher carbon footprint. Second, while there are opportuni-
ties for travel and destination experiences, camper van travellers can exist in
isolation to the place visited. It is possible for people to camp at the roadside,
either legally or illegally, depending on the country visited, and to bring food
and other essentials from home. Thus camper van travellers may engage little
with place and add little to the local economy. As for car travel, due to these
considerations, camper van tourism is excluded from slow travel.
Water-based travel
There are several ambiguities surrounding the inclusion of various forms of
water-based travel within the conceptual framework of slow travel. A UN
report suggests emissions from shipping have been significantly under-
estimated, and the industry reportedly generates three times more emissions
than previously thought, accounting for around 4.5 per cent of emissions glob-
ally (Vidal, 2008). High-speed vessels such as hydrofoils, which are often used
in tourism, have particularly high emissions. At the other extreme, canoes and
yachts, when under sail, are carbon neutral. A more detailed analysis of water-
based travel is included in Chapter 9. We conclude that some water-based
travel can be aligned with slow travel, although much depends on how it is
integrated with other modes of transport. However, cruise shipping has been
specifically excluded from slow travel, due to high carbon impacts and low
potential for engagement with destinations on the journey.
The market for slow travel
Two recent marketing research studies suggest slow travel is a growth area
(Euromonitor International, 2007; Mintel, 2009b), but who are slow travellers
