Sustainable Mobility at the Core of Sustainable Tourism in 6 European Islands

Abstract

Transport and tourism are rising economic sectors based on their mutual growth on reliable technological tools, affordable energy sources in relatively peaceful decades. This growing trend, faced along years sudden slowdown caused mainly by the financial and health crisis; one of the most serious and recent episodes was the COVID-19 pandemic. In each past episodes the recovery of growing trends was well succeeded but the pandemic outbreak implied innovative approaches to retake the growing trends. In such a changing framework CIVITAS DESTINATIONS European project addressed the main challenges of tourism and resident mobility at local (rural, urban area, large city) and regional level, focusing on 6 European islands (Malta, Cyprus, Elba, Crete, Gran Canaria, Madeira) aiming to implement and evaluate 83 different sustainable mobility measures. After collecting and ex ante, process and ex post data, according the CIVITAS evaluation process methodology, the project proves to have a cumulative relevant impact at qualitative and quantitative level to grant long run environmental and financial sustainability of tourism and transport at the local and regional level. The main aspects observed were related to: public participation and governance models in touristic mobility integrated with the residents’ needs, sustainable mobility options are highly valued among tourists, role of technologies to focus on final user needs, the growing trends of elder and disabled people, new integrated and innovative business in tourism and mobility markets, health at the core of future trends.