Sustainability, Tourism and Transport

CSTT envisions a tourism and leisure mobility system characterised by widespread and structural adoption of more sustainable transport modes and a reduction in distances, both for travelling to and within destinations. Central to this vision are inclusivity, justice, and well-being that ensure equitable transitions for all stakeholders, from local communities to international tourists, and long-term economic sustainability that minimises climate vulnerability. 
 
Through research, consultancy, and education, we create meaningful change by supporting public authorities, industries and society in embracing sustainable practices. By fostering active engagement and dialogue among stakeholders, we build shared understanding of what sustainable tourism and leisure mobility can look like and identify achievable pathways forwards. 

Our programme operates through three interrelated research pillars:  

• Reimagining alternative futures for sustainable tourism and leisure mobility by generating knowledge.
• Navigating sustainable tourism and leisure mobility transition by addressing existing tensions and paradoxes, and by providing methodological tools to turn unproductive debates into constructive discussions.
• Driving transformation of the tourism and leisure mobility system through targeted, evidence-based interventions at various geographical scales and transport modalities. 

Six research priorities operationalise these pillars:  

• Just and inclusive tourism and leisure mobility: examining systems from a social science perspective to ensure environmental sustainability and social justice, addressing inequalities in accessibility, affordability, and climate justice.
• Climate impacts and risks in tourism: investigating how climate change affects the sector and developing risk assessment tools to support industry adaptation.
• Measuring tourism and leisure carbon footprints:analysing emission drivers to guide reduction strategies and advance measurement adoption.
• Climate obstruction analysis: examining power relations and barriers to climate action to inform policy developers.
• Urban and rural mobility solutions: supporting sustainable mobility for attractions, events, and destinations.
• Systems approach: developing comprehensive frameworks addressing complex interactions to guide evidence-based interventions. 

The research team:

• Nina Nesterova
• Harald Buijtendijk
• Erdinç Çakmak
• Eke Eijgelaar
• Ivar Neelis
• Sjors Martens
• Elisa van den Heuvel

We keep our own carbon footprint low. We use low-carbon modes of transport as much as possible.