DESTI-SMART
Delivering Efficient Sustainable Tourism with low-carbon transport Innovations: Sustainable Mobility, Accessibility and Responsible Travel
Green
Zero-carbon urban mobility
2014-2020
Project summary
What is DESTI-SMART?
DESTI-SMART is a project addressing challenges for efficient sustainable tourism and at the same time promotion of low-carbon ecconomy through sustainable mobility and accessibility. Public regional/local and transport authorities increasingly face such challenges, particularly at busy destinations with high tourism travel flows. The 9 project partners, representing mass tourism destinations in South Europe, emerging tourism destinations, coastal, maritime and insular ones, form an interregional working sceme promoting interregional cooperation for sustainable mobility, accessibility and low-carbon responsible travel, through capitalisation of best practices, improvement of regional/local policy instruments and preparation of action plans towards their emergence and recognition as 'Smart Destinations'. The partnership includes an advisory partner with specialisation in tourism mobility. The project is managed and coordinated by a Management and Coordination Unit of exeternal experts with substantial experience in management, sustainable tourism and transport planning. Overall objective of DESTI-SMART To improve the transport and tourism policies of EU destinations, by integrating strategies for sustainable mobility, accessibility and responsible travel with efficient & sustainable tourism development, for transition to a low-carbon economy, through efficiency, resilience, multimodality, novel low-carbon transport systems, cycling & walking, with implementation innovations, policy learning and capacity building.Issue addressed
Promoting Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility with low-carbon transport in tourism destinations is a theme that has not been given the emphasis that it deserves, particularly in busy destinations with high tourist flows at peak seasons. This is particularly the case in coastal, maritime and insular destinations of South Europe, where peak summer demand is greater and transport systems are often inadequate. Transport planning is usually geared to the normal travel demand of residents and businesses, with the special needs of tourists frequently overlooked, underestimated or given inadequate attention. Visitors, usually foreign, are not very familiar with the destination transport networks and language, but have to use the available facilities for their mobility. There is a large scope for shifting travel demand to low-carbon transport solutions in tourism, with significant quality of life, socioeconomic, environmental and climate action benefits. The increase in holiday travel, shortbreaks and day visits increases accessibility and mobility problems in destinations at different territorial levels (ie countries or regions, tourist districts or single resorts). There is a strong need for adequate policies at all levels. Instruments include passenger intermodality improvements, public transport, encouragement of environmentally friendly low-carbon tourism mobility, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) development and harmonization, Mobile Aplications, etc. Efficient transport policies have to consider the whole travel chain and be customer oriented, taking into account the needs of all tourists as well as residents. In particular, the following pressing issues need to be addressed, through interregional cooperation with innovations towards a low-carbon economy in EU destinations: A. Investments in and provision of low-carbon transport systems, with the needs of visitors explicitly taken into consideration, including internalisation and reduction of external costs of transport by mode shift to low-carbon travel solutions and E-Mobility. B. Interchange between long-distance travel and local transport services, including Intermodality facilities for visitors, multimodal connectivity improvements that would shift travel demand to low-carbon transport. C. Accessible tourism facilities for visitors with mobility difficulties (disabled, elderly, families with young children, etc). D. Cycling & Walking for Tourists, Cycling routes provision, Shared bikes, CycloTourism, integration of cycling in tourism mobility strategies, promoting ‘Greenways’. Europe 2020 growth strategy aims for the EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. The project has clear and strong links, in terms of transport and tourism sustainability and it addresses four of the EU2020 objectives, on employment (policy instruments on Growth & Jobs), innovation (comprehensive novel tourism mobility solutions), social inclusion (through accessibility for all) and climate/energy (through low-carbon transport). Interreg Europe Priority Axis 3, Investment priority 4(e) promotes low-carbon strategies including sustainable multimodal mobility, with mitigation and adapatation measures. This covers all types of territories and tourism destinations must not be left out.What did this project achieve?
Mission Statement
“The DESTI-SMART Interreg Europe project partnership aims to introduce sustainable and smart mobility solutions, low-carbon transport systems, intermodality improvements, cycling and walking facilities for visitors, with related innovations, at tourist destinations.
These constitute important additions to the 'Smart Destinations' concept and definition, particularly by sustainable and smart tourism mobility as a further criterion and category of the 'European Capital of Smart Tourism' awards.
The above are resulting from relevant interregional cooperation, exchange of experience, capacity building, policy development and policy change in sustainable tourism mobility, towards Smart Destinations”
Project Approach
The project approach is to seek and facilitate increased interaction, cooperation, innovations and integration between the tourism and transport sectors at destination regions, around priority key themes that are expected to contribute towards the transition to a low-carbon economy, through sustainable mobility and accessibility solutions. The key priority themes are: A. Low-carbon transport systems introduction investigation, including internalisation and reduction of external costs of transport for tourism and travel with low-carbon solutions, E-Mobility options, promoting the use of railways for access to destinations where possible, redeployment of disused railways for sustainable tourism development and non-motorised transport. B. Provision of improved Intermodality facilities for visitors, multimodal connectivity improvements, interchange facilities between long distance travel and local transport systems, including multilingual travel information provision, integrated e-ticketing for tourism sites and public transport, CycloTourism interchanges with public transport, awareness raising, promotion of low-carbon modes of travel, ICT & mobile applications, Mobility as a Service (MaaS). C. Accessible Tourism: Accessibility for tourists with mobility problems (disabled, elderly, families, etc). D. Facilitating Cycling & Walking for Tourists, cycling routes provision, shared bikes, promotion of CycloTourism, integration of cycling in urban/regional tourism mobility strategies, promoting ‘Greenways’. The project approach involves the following 12 activities, in order of appearence: 1. Review, identification, documentation of key policies and best practices from previous, completed projects for capitalisation; key issues and available policy options review and assessment. 2. Development of linkages and synergies amongst specific clusters, such as: Regional Authorities, Local Authorities, Transport Authorities, Tourism Boards, Development Agencies, Transport operators, as well as by type of tourism destination (coastal & maritime, urban, rural, mountainous, insular) and low-carbon transport modes and options (Electro-Mobility, Railways, Cycling, Walking, Access Control, Park & Ride, DRT, Internalisation and reduction of external costs of transport, Mobility as a Service – MaaS innovations), through Interregional Working Groups that will co-organise and undertake the following activities. 3. Stakeholder involvement throughout, by dedicated events at regional/local level in each semester. 4. Interregional Thematic Workshops and Study Visits on the 4 priority themes (Low-carbon Transport Systems, Intermodality, Accessibility, Cycling & Walking at Tourism Destinations), as policy learning events. Webinars on specific matters regarding the above. 5. Dedicated Study Tour on Intelligent Transport Systems at destinations (synergies with Horizon2020 CIVITAS Destinations project in Madeira). 6. Staff exchange programme, between more experienced and less experienced regions, involving officers as both donors and recipients of good practices. 7. Joint Surveys with Common Methodology for travel behaviour research (Institutional/Business, Resident & Visitor/Traveller Surveys). 8. Feasibility Studies for Low-Carbon Mobility Options & Transport Systems, Accessibility provision, Intermodality improvements and Cycling/Walking facilities. 9. Policy Peer Reviews. 10. Participation in Policy Learning Platform Activities, as required by the Interreg Europe programme. 11. Joint Development of Action Plans. 12. Monitoring of Implementation (Phase 2).Innovative Character
Innovative character is in the comprehensive enhancement and implementation of integated policies for low-carbon sustainable mobility, accessibility, responsible travel and efficient sustainable tourism, in tourist destinations. The project is also in line with the outcomes of the UNWTO Smart Destinations World Conferences, which state that: "Smart solutions enable destinations to better respond to changing travel behaviours and needs of the more informed, hyper-connected and multi-channeled tourist by offering more relevant, integrated services (e.g. from door to door) and incorporating fast adaptation processes in destinations".A few numbers
1,777,510 €
01 Jun 2018-30 Nov 2022
10 partners