As tourists prepare to pack their suitcases for a summer trip, decisions about how to be a green holidaymaker increasingly involve how to move around the resort or city, as well as how to get there.
Walking and cycling are still regarded as the most sustainable ways to explore holiday destinations. They reduce emissions, improve health and wellbeing and allow visitors to engage more closely with local places.
Some popular holiday destinations make it much easier for tourists to walk, cycle or use public transport to get around, while in other places driving is the most obvious option, adding to congestion and overcrowded transport systems. Our past study indicates that what decisions tourist hubs make about design and transport can influence travellers’ transport choices on arrival.
What destinations can do
Many cities, including Paris, are investing in helping tourists and locals get around in an environmentally friendly way. The French capital has a €250 million (£216 million) programme to add more cycle lanes and paths. But simply expanding infrastructure is not enough. Visitors need transport systems that they can use easily and make them feel comfortable and safe.
Several other European cities are demonstrating how active travel can be successfully integrated into the visitor experience.
Copenhagen is often regarded as one of the world’s most cycle-friendly cities. But its success is not simply the result of having more cycle lanes. The Danish capital gives out cycling maps and detailed route information, aimed at tourists, showing distance, terrain, journey time and route difficulty. Visitors can also download maps and information about navigation around the city to their phones. This can make cycling feel more predictable and accessible, particularly for people unfamiliar with the city.
Utrecht, in the Netherlands, has routes across the city which give cyclists priority over cars. Its central station has the world’s largest indoor bike parking garage. The city has invested over €60 per person on its annual cycling budget and has more than 100,000 secure on-street cycle parking spots. These work for local residents as well as visitors.
Read more:
Coolcations: why people are heading away from the sun this summer
The Belgian city of Ghent has focused on creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment, cutting down the areas where cars can go, and encouraging walking and cycling between attractions. They now have nearly 20km of streets just for bicycles, connecting neighbourhoods and over 300km of off-road protected bike lanes.
What is common in all these cities is a recognition that active travel is not merely a mode of transport, but it is part of the overall visitor (and residential) experience.
Evidence suggests that shifting to active travel, including using a scooter or wheelchair, can significantly reduce emissions by up to 11%.
Dealing with the heat
However, hotter summers can put people off travelling on public transport, especially if it is not air conditioned, or involves long walks in the heat. According to the World Health Organization, heatwaves are becoming more frequent, intense and prolonged due to climate change. In EU countries, heatwaves led to tens of thousands of deaths in 2022. Extreme weather has caused substantial economic costs estimated at €560 billion between 1980 and 2021, highlighting the urgent need for more climate-resilient cities.
There is growing research showing that extreme heat discourages walking and cycling, particularly among older adults, families and visitors unfamiliar with a city.
However, research on climate adaptation suggests that adding new facilities is important as temperatures rise. These include shaded areas, drinking water, public toilets, seating areas and cool spaces. A cycle route may look attractive on a map, but if users cannot rest, rehydrate or escape extreme heat, intuitively they may choose other travel options instead.
Guidance from the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a group of 96 cities which work together on tackling climate change, highlights the importance of designing walking and cycling routes that are comfortable, inclusive and resilient to climate change. This includes wider pavements, green corridors, signposts and maps, and safe crossing places.
Not just for tourists
This approach can improve wellbeing, strengthen communities and enhance urban ecosystems. For example, street trees and various flora can provide shade and support biodiversity. Green corridors of trees along pathways can encourage walking and cycling, while also helping cities adapt to heatwaves. And shady public parks can also help improve visitor experiences and quality of life for residents in hot temperatures particularly.
In our research on the infrastructure work on Edinburgh, we found that cycling infrastructure and bicycle parking often become less well established beyond the city centre, particularly around popular destinations such as the city’s extinct volcano Arthur’s Seat. Although Edinburgh has made significant progress in promoting active travel, infrastructure gaps (such as being too far away from a bus route) can still discourage visitors from using public transport.
All of these challenges are even greater in cities such as Las Vegas or Dubai, where temperatures frequently exceed 40°C. In places with extreme temperatures, encouraging active travel (when safe to do so) among tourists or residents requires more than infrastructure alone. Cooling strategies, providing shade and rest areas are essential.
Tourists’ choices about how they travel are shaped by how destinations are designed as well as willingness and ability to choose different options. Incorporating active travel options can be an important part of city planning to tackle climate change, and benefit residents as well.
Harry Radzuan receives funding from the British Academy/Leverhulme to conduct this research.
Siti Intan Nurdiana Wong Abdullah receives funding from British Academy/Leverhulme to conduct this research.
Jiaying Xue does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.