In ecologically sensitive but tourism-intensive areas, transport policy-makers face the paradox of understanding the need to minimize transport-related impacts, yet being practically unable to change the status quo. This occurs because the acknowledged negative impact of traffic on the tourism economy is perceived as less problematic than the potential effects of traffic management. This paper assesses this paradox by quantifying the effects of traffic management measures on tourist demand in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site (Italy) and proposing measures that minimize negative side-effects. The study is based on a stated preference survey to elicit visitor sensitivities to a series of management and experiential conditions, and subsequent simulations for estimating the outcomes of future traffic management. Results show that the above-mentioned paradox might be dealt with if a well-balanced mix of “carrot” and “stick” measures is introduced according to territorial needs. In the case of the Dolomites, this means that alternative transportation should be highly performing, i.e. cheap, frequent, integrated and running on an extended daily schedule, whereas restrictions on private mobility should be clear and unavoidable. Results of this study are part of a broader process of re-designing tourism and transportation systems as integrated domains.

Emerging tourist market trends are compelling destinations to consider mobility as an essential strategic component of sustainable tourism planning. Tourism mobility analysis is a tool available to policy-makers when developing integrated and effective sustainable transport and tourism policies. This paper introduces an innovative tourism-traffic analysis based on survey techniques which allows the identification of tourism-related components and an estimate of their environmental impact on a destination, information critical to the development of appropriate mobility management measures. This methodology was implemented in Italy's South Tyrol region, an alpine province at the forefront of sustainable tourism and mobility innovation. The significant environmental impact of tourism traffic revealed in the destination justifies the innovative steps taken toward sustainable mobility in two pilot case studies covering eight communities. An exploratory desk analysis shows that neither the push – encouraging sustainable behavior – nor the pull – discouraging unsustainable practices – mobility measures adopted in these pilot areas decreased tourism flows; however, they did succeed in providing more environmentally sustainable means of transport, with reduced emissions. And in a majority of cases, tourism flows increased above the regional average. A range of problems with the existing methodology are described, along with key issues for future research.

Sustainable mobility, including public transport and human-powered slow mobility is a priority for the sustainable development of tourism destinations, but it is a complex challenge to devise, implement and manage. This paper explores the mechanisms and conditions governing transition towards sustainable mobility in destinations, using a complexity-based approach. Destinations are understood as complex adaptive systems where social-ecological, socio-technical and socio-political subsystems interact dynamically with the tourism subsystem. These subsystems are interwoven and undergo significant, and inter-related, changes during transition towards more sustainable mobility. Three examples from the tourism intensive Alpine destination of South Tyrol (Italy) illustrate subsystem interactions during the transition process. Key player interview-based qualitative research indicates that the complexity of transition management is rooted particularly in the paired presence of risk aversion among local stakeholders and the unpredictability of visitor flows. Mitigating risk aversion through collective knowledge creation and offering answers to unpredictability by developing a strong adaptive and (re)organisation capacity seem to be required to adjust sustainable mobility solutions to continuous market changes, to convince stakeholders and to guarantee incremental and durable success. The public sector's special role is noted, as are the time demands of transition management, and the value of both formal and informal partnerships.

This study investigates the effects of climate change on tourist mobility in mountain areas, distinguishing between infrastructure, transport operation and travel demand. We examine change in tourist travel demand by proposing a two-step approach to forecast its future development. A multi-origin, multi-destination model for tourism demand quantifies the variation in overnight stays within a given region, and a linear, deterministic model determines the traffic-related implications. The method, tested on the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol (Italy), exhibits expected variations in winter and summer travel demand up to 2080 under different scenarios. Results reveal that average summer traffic can be more than twice as intense as average winter traffic, contributing to significantly increasing the peak days of congestion along the Provincial road network. Despite this evidence, all stakeholders seem to be at an early stage in incorporating this information into their strategic planning. The need for adequate transport policies and measures is considered essential to obtain the optimal balance of transport modes that will be required in the near future.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of the Republic of China is a global infrastructure project with high trade ambitions, but uncertain regional outcomes. This exploratory analysis investigates the drivers and the processes enabling positive regional effects of the BRI in terms of local service industry development. Under the interpretation of the BRI as a global transport system, we identify and explore three levels of analysis: the global scale of the BRI, the regional scale of its corridors and the local scale of transit regions. Along the Trans-Caspian corridor, Georgia is analyzed as a unique example of transit region aiming deliberately to develop its tertiary sector around the BRI infrastructure. To assess the attitude of stakeholders towards the BRI and its impacts on local service development, a qualitative research strategy is applied. Nineteen semi-structured interviews are processed using the GABEK method. Results reveal uncertain positions towards the BRI initiative. However, a need for a national strategy and a transnational governance system clearly stands out to enforce transit countries and counterbalance the dependency on China’s foreign investments. The intervention of national governments is deemed as crucial also to facilitate knowledge transfer, business opportunities and to increase bottom-up participation of local inhabitants.

Zusammenfassung: Im Diskurs über Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte im Tourismus sind Mobilitätsfragen von zentraler Bedeutung. Der Übergang zu einem nachhaltigen und integrierten Verkehrskonzept sollte sowohl das Management des öffentlichen Verkehrs, der aktiven Verkehrsteilnehmer (Fußgänger und Fahrradfahrer) als auch das Management der Elektromobilität einbeziehen. Die explorative Fallstudie in einer alpinen Region in Norditalien (Südtirol) untersucht, welches Potenzial der Elektromobilität im Hinblick auf die Gewährleistung oder sogar Steigerung der Nachhaltigkeitsorientierung von Tourismusdestinationen in abgelegenen Gebieten zukommt. Um die Rahmenbedingungen sowie die touristische Einstellung zur Entwicklung der Elektromobilität zu beurteilen, wurden Nachfrage- und Angebotsperspektiven kombiniert. Eine sekundäre Datenanalyse gibt Aufschluss über die Entwicklung von Strategien und die Bereitstellung von Ladeinfrastrukturen für eine lokale Verbesserung der Elektromobilität. Darüber hinaus wurde eine Online-Befragung durchgeführt, um Verhaltensinformationen zur Einstellung der Besucher in Bezug auf die Elektromobilität im Allgemeinen sowie vor Ort zu sammeln. Hierzu wurden mittels einer zielgerichteten Stichprobe mehr als 1.000 Touristen ausgewählt, die das Gebiet bereits besucht haben. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse geben Aufschluss über wahrgenommene Barrieren und Desiderata, was die Weiterentwicklung von E-Tourismus-Angeboten anbelangt. Sie unterstreichen außerdem das Potenzial der Destination, die E-Mobilitätsinfrastruktur als Instrument für Produkt- und Marktinnovation im Tourismus zu nutzen.