27 - 28 May 2024 | Sustainable Tourism Mobility Forum

9.00 - 10.00 | Registration, coffee and a word of welcome by Jorrit Snijder (President of the Executive Board, BUas)

10.00 - 12.00 | Long-haul tourism mobility

About this session

In this session we delve into the realities and challenges of decarbonizing the aviation industry and its profound impacts on tourism in the face of climate change. We explore the prerequisites to unlock the full potential of rail and coach transport for tourism, and how to make them viable and efficient modes for European travel. Together, we discover the strategies and considerations necessary to realize sustainable development of the tourism industry towards a greener and more resilient future. 

Moderator

Robert Thaler, Senior Sustainable Mobility Advisor, Initiator of THE PEP Partnership on Sustainable Tourism Mobility & Austrian klimaaktivmobil programme

Stakeholder dialogue panel

• Floor Bregman, Sustainability manager, Corendon
• Elmer van Buuren, CEO, European Sleeper 
• Paul Peeters, Distinguished Professor Sustainable Tourism Transport, BUas  
• Petrouschka Werther, Director Sustainable Mobility, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
• Mark Mallants, Co-Director, Benerail 

Project pitches 

• Climate risks for Dutch outbound tour operators
  Cheryl van Adrichem, PhD candidate Wageningen University
• Developments and perspectives of the Dutch touring car sector
  Maria Rodrigues, Senior Project manager transport and mobility, Panteia

12.00 - 13.00 | Lunch 

13.00 - 15.00 | Local tourism mobility

About this session

We delve into the pivotal role of consumers in shaping the evolving landscape of sustainable tourism mobility needs and a transition towards sustainable urban mobility. We scrutinize the responsibilities and necessary actions from various tourism mobility stakeholders and review the dependence of local tourism and leisure on car transport. We explore how to pave the way forward by seamlessly integrating rail, public transport, walking, cycling, and electromobility into the local tourism mobility offering and wider urban and rural mobility planning.

Moderator

Françoise Guaspare, responsible for the European policies on Sustainable tourism mobility, Ile de France region

Stakeholder dialogue 

• Carolien de Groot, Senior Policy officer sustainable mobility, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management 
• Thijs de Groot, Program Manager Destination Development, Netherlands board of tourism & conventions (NBTC)
• Eric Caspers, Strategic Advisor, Municipality Schouwen-Duiveland
• Mike Pinckaers, Advisor Public Affairs, ANWB 
• Bente Grimm, Head of Tourism mobility research, New Insights for Tourism (NIT) 

Project pitches 

• Modal shift, routing and nudging solutions in Nature areas for sustainable tourism
  Sterre Sparreboom, Project Officer Sustainable Mobility, Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug
• Bed and Bike, Noëlle Verhage & Keisa Meyjes, HZ University of Applied Sciences

15.00 - 15.30 | Coffee break

15.30 - 16.15 | Business mobility

About this session

In this session, we break down the barriers between business travel and leisure tourism by identifying current shared challenges and opportunities, as well as opportunities for mutual learning and collaboration between these traditionally distinct realms.  We use the film and media industry as a compelling case study to delve into the possibilities offered by modern technology to reduce carbon emissions associated with business travel. 

We discuss an inspiring story from the Travel Smart Campaign that has successfully brought the impact of corporate travel and long-haul flying into the public sphere. By setting benchmarks on company travel emissions and promoting transparency, the campaign incentivizes change and provides a roadmap for tracking progress. 
 

• Sustainable travel for film productions: use of digital technologies to reduce the business travel
  Carlos Pereira Santos, Research & Design Coordinator, BUas 
• Travel Smart Campaign
  Erin Vera, Campaigner, Transport and Environment

16.15– 16.30 | Conclusion, Bert van Wee, Professor Transport Policy, TU Delft  

16.30 - 17.30 | Network drinks

9:00 hrs - 12:00 hrs: Three thematic workshops, following the Sustainable Tourism Mobility Forum and diving into the specific topics of tourism transport.

Workshop 1: Coach and the City: The place of coaches in transport and tourism

Hosted by: POLIS Network and the Breda University of Applied Sciences 

Long-haul and local coaches for tourism raise challenges and opportunities linked to transport infrastructure, sustainability, air quality, accessibility and inclusivity, space usage, congestion and safety for coach passengers and residents living in tourism cities. This has been on the agenda of associations, with for example POLIS and IRU’s pledge.

Collaborative efforts between cities and coach operators are required to achieve environmental and operational targets at the city, national and European levels. This workshop will explore solutions to enhance the place of coaches in the tourism and transport systems through improved coordination, integration of coaches, regulations, assessments and consultations, technology enhancements, communication, and more.
This workshop aims to bring together public authorities, industry players, start-ups, and universities at national, regional, and European levels.

Agenda

• Introductory presentation and context 
• Short presentations from experts working in the industry, public authorities, unions and associations and more (Confirmed speakers are to be announced soon)
• Networking Coffee Break
• In-depth workshop session and discussion 
• Summary of results and next steps
   

Workshop 2: Planning for sustainable mobility at tourist destinations

Hosted by: POLIS Network and MONA project.

Accessibility is one of the most critical variables in the planning of tourism development in nature destinations. With increasing number of visitors, intensified by COVID-19, it increases the pressure on nature, negative environmental impact, and nuisance for residents (locals) and visitors. Improved accessibility leads to changes in visitor behavior so accessibility improvements to protected natural areas should be planned in line with the goals of nature conservation and tourism development. Increase of sustainable mobility alternatives to car-centric accessibility should be in focus of nature tourism management.

MONA project (Modal shift, routing, and nudging solutions in nature areas for sustainable tourism, Interreg) aims to stimulate sustainable tourism in and around nature areas aiming that it benefits nature, the environment, visitors, and the local economy.

This workshop aims to discuss solutions on the uptake of sustainable transport modes like rail, shared mobility, electric car usage in peri-urban and rural areas, discussing inclusive routing strategies to and within nature areas, and nudging visitors and stakeholders towards more sustainable behavior.

This workshop aims to bring together public authorities, industry players, start-ups, and universities active in the field of tourism and transport.

Agenda

• Introductory presentation and context 
• Short presentations from experts working in the industry, public authorities, unions and associations and more (Confirmed speakers are to be announced soon)
• Networking Coffee Break
• In-depth workshop session and discussion 
• Summary of results and next steps

 

Workshop 3: Recreational cycling: opportunities and challenges 

Hosted by: BUas Cycling Lab and Greengage project. 

To increase the sustainability of movements throughout North Brabant and to increase the health of its residents, the Province of North Brabant aims at increasing the number of kilometers biked in the province. Understanding the link between recreative cycling routes and larger touristic destinations, as well as exploring the characteristics that make for an appealing route help increasing the attraction of the specific cycling route. To increase the appeal of these routes, to inventory their (international existence) and to identify metrics of quality, this session will do a deep dive into the considerations around recreational biking. This workshop will discuss the barriers and motivators for recreational cycling, identify deterrents and attractors per route, and discuss the policy decisions behind their design. 

The BUas Cycling Lab is a collection of sessions that aim to facilitate the use of the bike, in whatever way possible, addressing the obstacles and motivations of bike use and provide solutions or enhancements. BUas Cycling Lab is organized in the framework of the Greengage project (Engaging citizens and mobilizing technology, delivering the Green Deal; Horizon Europe).

Agenda

• Introductory presentation 
• Short presentations from experts working in the industry, public authorities, unions and associations and more (Confirmed speakers are to be announced soon).  
• Networking Coffee Break
• In-depth workshop session and discussion on recreational routes and characteristics
• Introduction of route observation tool