Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 10.1
European Commission Tourism Sustainability Group
recommendations to address the impact of tourism transport
Aviation sector
• Research, support and regulation leading to improvements in vehicle, aircraft and fuel
technology and traffic management (including air traffic control).
• Participation by the aviation sector in an EU emissions trading system, and encouragement of all
international airlines to participate in similar systems.
• Actively promoting carbon-offsetting schemes to travellers, with the support of operators.
Modal shift to more environmentally-friendly forms of transport for tourism
(train, coach/bus, water, cycle, foot)
• Adjusting taxation and pricing mechanisms to reflect environmental cost.
• Actively and creatively promoting alternative transport options (equally for the enjoyable
experience they offer as well as for their low impact) and providing high-quality information to
tourists on them.
• Investing in appropriate infrastructure and services (cycle trails, rail services, coach and car
parking, etc.), using revenue from environmental taxes where appropriate.
• Continuously improving integration between different types of transport service and ease of use
by tourists.
• Careful location of new tourism development with respect to accessibility.
A further approach is to seek to reduce distances travelled, while retaining total visitor spending.
This may require:
• Adjusting target markets and promotion towards more local and domestic source markets.
• Encouraging fewer but longer holidays, while recognizing that this goes against recent market
trends.
• Promoting attractions and activities within and around the destination rather than longer
excursions.
Source:
European Commission Tourism Sustainability Group, 2007, pp9-10
precautionary principle; these will replace current voluntary guidance sup-
ported by best practice examples.
Travel costs
Policy frameworks may also lead to more formal regulations to shape demand
and supply. For example, personal carbon allowances may play a role in the
future. However, before this occurs, it is likely that escalating cost structures
will increase the price of travel. High-carbon elements will witness price rises,
such as airline and car travel, in response to taxation regimes based on the
'polluter pays' principle. Some researchers doubt the efficacy of some regula-
tions or taxes to deliver significant reductions in emissions (Mayor and Tol,
2009). There will nevertheless be an increase in travel costs simply because of
market forces and possibly through regulation such as energy quota certifi-
cates. These combined factors will bring a return to the consumer perception
that spatial distance is, once again, an important rule of thumb in estimating
cost and hence demand. In developing countries, this fundamental rule has
not been lost, as motorized transport remains scarce and non-motorized trans-
port is appropriate for shorter trips. There will obviously be differential
