Travel behavior on vacation: mobility on site

Summary of this study:

Tourist travel contributes significantly to traffic problems in popular vacation destinations. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted into the travel behavior of visitors at their vacation destination. To close this gap, data from a specially developed survey on travel and leisure activities in the Austrian Alps was used. This allowed the research team to investigate how tourists choose their means of transportation during their stay in the resorts.

The results show that various factors play an important role, including travel time, travel costs, the composition of the travel group, the purpose of the trip, the physical fitness of the respondents, their knowledge of how to get to the vacation destination and the local mobility options, as well as certain weather conditions. It was found that tourists react very little to changes in travel costs, while changes in travel time are more important to them.

The study provides unique insights that can help to better shape transport policy and thus contribute to more sustainable travel in vacation regions.

Findings from this study:

• Travel time and travel costs have a strong negative influence on the choice of transportation mode.
• Tourists are less sensitive to changes in fares or fuel costs, but more sensitive to changes in travel time.
• The choice of transport mode is significantly influenced by personal and family factors, including the needs of children and household members, the purpose of the trip, personal fitness levels and prior knowledge of long-distance travel. In addition, available mobility options at the destination and weather conditions play a significant role in the decision-making process.