European Sustainable Tourism Mobility Forum: bridge between tourism and mobility

What is the European Sustainable Tourism Mobility Forum?

The European Sustainable Tourism Mobility Forum is a platform for dialogue and cooperation between two worlds that have largely operated independently until now: tourism and transport. In practice, these worlds are naturally strongly intertwined, but policy, knowledge, and decision-making are often separated. The forum brings these parties together to get to know each other better, exchange knowledge, and, above all, to develop joint solutions and actions.

What is the theme of the forum this year?

“The central theme is what the new European strategy for sustainable tourism could mean for sustainable mobility. The strategy was initially scheduled for publication at the end of May, but at this point, the end of June seems more realistic. Our forum is therefore taking place just before the official publication. However, several speakers from DG MOVE (Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport) will be present, and can already explain the main outlines of the strategy. This gives the audience an exclusive insight into the direction Europe is heading.”

Do you view mobility as the biggest challenge for sustainable tourism?

“If you look at the figures, transport is by far the largest source of CO₂ emissions within tourism. In the Netherlands, about 70-80% of tourist emissions stem from mobility. In addition, leisure and tourist travel contribute increasingly to the CO₂ footprint of total transport in the Netherlands. This makes it, without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges.

At the same time, it is a difficult challenge because mobility traditionally does not fall within the core tasks of the tourism sector. Tourism cannot open railway lines or adjust transport policy. What the sector *can* do, however, is influence travel behaviour, for example by stimulating tourism to closer markets and thus promoting shorter travel distances. That is a substantial contribution.” We must also highlight the other side of the coin: tourist and leisure mobility is likewise not central to the mobility discussion. Mobility policy generally focuses on commuting (including modelling, data collection, stakeholder involvement, mobility measures, etc.). Mobility in relation to leisure and tourism is therefore a neglected area; no one really pays attention to this, while the scale of leisure and tourist activities continues to increase and exerts ever-growing pressure on our cities and regions.

This is already the third forum. What have you achieved by now?

“What we clearly see is that interest is growing and that the forum is being taken increasingly seriously. The first edition was an initiative from BUas. The second edition already received support from two Dutch ministries (Infrastructure & Water Management and Economic Affairs) and national organisations such as NBTC. For this third edition, there is broad involvement from European institutions, including the European Travel Commission (ETC), Network of European Regions for Sustainable and Competitive Tourism (NECSTouR), POLIS Network, the European Tourism Association (ETOA), and the European Commission. That does not mean that tourism and mobility are already working together in a perfectly integrated manner – we are not there yet. But the forum is increasingly seen as a unique place where both sectors actually meet. That alone is an important step forward.”

Are we in action mode now, or is this still the run-up?

“Frankly, I still view this phase as a run-up to real action. At the same time, a lot has changed over the past three years. While cooperation between tourism and mobility was initially seen as ‘desirable’, it is now widely recognised as necessary. This is reflected, among other things, in the European Commission's bringing tourism and transport together in a single portfolio. With the new European strategy for sustainable tourism, we hope that mobility will become a structural part of it. That would be an important basis for concrete action in practice.”

What can visitors to the forum expect?

“Visitors gain insight into the new European sustainable tourism strategy and – very importantly – what that concretely means for mobility in practice. In addition, the forum is particularly valuable because people meet who normally wouldn't encounter each other. Tourism entrepreneurs speak with transport companies, policymakers meet touroperators, and mobility professionals hear firsthand what is happening in recreation and tourism. That yields new perspectives *and* new collaborations.”

When is the forum a success for you?

“For me, the forum is a success when even experts say: ‘I learned something new today.’ That happened last year, and I found that very telling. But success also lies in very practical results. If a participant goes home thinking, ‘I now know who to call to take this further,’ then we have achieved our goal. When tourism and transport not only meet but also know how to move forward together, then the forum has truly been of value.”

For more information and to register, visit the conference website.