Tourism development forecasts promise a continuing growth of the industry also in the future. At the same time, some academic and business circles begin to question more often whether the economic growth is a sustainable proposition and start to draw increasing attention to some aspects of the development, like the growing mobility and the environmental and capacity problems resulting from it. On one hand tourism creates or strongly contributes to their deepening, on the other hand these problems can have a reverse impact on its growth – not least because the very nature of tourism consists in the movement of people. These concerns raise the consideration to what extent the optimistic predictions for future tourism growth are realistic.
The mobility issues are especially urgent in Europe, as it has a relatively small physical size and a leading position in the world tourism travel. The disinterest of European hotel and tourism establishments to the changes in travel mobility, the quite recent appearance of new mobility concepts and processes, and the lack of sufficient publications and studies on them, convert this dissertation into a grounding work in tourism analysis.
The dissertation aims at answering the question about the impact of the new mobility concepts on the European tourism growth. In regard to that issue, it focuses on opposing the signals and perceptions from two information sources that are different in their nature but closely interrelated – the literature and the real world. It then identifies the areas of information overlapping and the place that has been assigned to the mobility concepts in the context of tourism. As a logical finalisation at the end, a discussion follows about the implications of the new mobility concepts for the European tourism industry. Through undertaking a grounding approach in the study of mobility and through the integration of this new area into tourism research, it became possible to identify the dimensions and issues in which the conducting of further and deeper research is highly recommendable. The dissertation draws conclusions about the impact of the new mobility concepts on the future tourism growth in Europe. In this way, it represents an initial attempt to fill the existing gap in tourism research – the gap called ‘mobility’.
Table of Contents
1. CHAPTER 1, INTRODUCTION
1.1. Travel & Tourism growth – an indicator for further development
1.2. Problems arising from Travel & Tourism growth and their urgency – definition of the research area
2. CHAPTER 2, METHODOLOGY
3. CHAPTER 3, MOBILITY, ITS DIMENSIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS (LITERATURE REVIEW)
3.1. Perceptions of the relationship tourism ⇔ mobility
3.2. The environment as a cross-point of phenomena tourism ⇔ mobility
3.3. Congestion in the configuration tourism ⇔ mobility
3.4. The relationship tourism ⇔ mobility in the literature – a summary
4. CHAPTER 4, SIGNALS FROM THE REAL WORLD
4.1. Perceptions of the relationship tourism ⇔ mobility
4.2. The environment as a cross-point of phenomena tourism ⇔ mobility
4.3. Congestion in the configuration tourism ⇔ mobility
4.4. The relationship tourism ⇔ mobility in the real world – a summary
5. CHAPTER 5, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Objectives and Core Themes
This dissertation investigates the impact of emerging mobility concepts on the growth of the European tourism industry. It seeks to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world industrial practices regarding travel mobility, examining how these concepts can contribute to or mitigate sustainable development challenges.
- Analysis of European tourism growth trends and their implications for travel mobility.
- Evaluation of the relationship between tourism and mobility within academic literature.
- Examination of real-world signals regarding mobility concepts from aviation and automotive sectors.
- Investigation into sustainable development, environmental impacts, and infrastructure congestion.
- Identification of gaps in current tourism research concerning mobility management.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. Travel & Tourism growth – an indicator for further development
Tourism forecasts predict a continuation of the past and current growth trends of the industry also in the future. From a mobility perspective this means increased traveller flows. In the configuration of the tourism industry on a global scale Europe has one of the leading positions. However, does the growth mean sustainable development and is Europe ready to meet this growing travel mobility its tourism generates?
Tourism became mass activity at the beginning of the 1950’s. As such, it is a relatively young industry in comparison to traditional manufacturing branches of the economy. Following on from then it has been quickly expanding and showing a continuous trend of increase.
“Since the 1950s, in most European countries, tourism has become a mass phenomenon and is no longer the preserve of the wealthy few. The result has been a well known and persistent process whereby the wealthier tourists, reluctant to visit democratised, congested resorts, have constantly introduced new forms of tourism in increasingly secluded and often more remote locations.” (Bieber and Potier, 1993:284-285)
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1, INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of travel mobility trends in the context of tourism growth and defines the research scope and objectives.
CHAPTER 2, METHODOLOGY: Details the research philosophy, explaining the use of qualitative, comparative, and secondary data analysis to explore the mobility phenomenon.
CHAPTER 3, MOBILITY, ITS DIMENSIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS (LITERATURE REVIEW): Critically reviews academic perspectives on the complex interrelationship between tourism, mobility, environmental impact, and congestion.
CHAPTER 4, SIGNALS FROM THE REAL WORLD: Collects and examines practical examples of mobility concepts implemented by organizations such as airlines and governmental agencies.
CHAPTER 5, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Synthesizes findings by comparing literature and real-world practices, proposing recommendations for future research on mobility in tourism.
Keywords
Tourism, Mobility, Europe, Sustainable Development, Transport, Congestion, Infrastructure, Car Sharing, Aviation, Environment, Intermodality, Tourism Growth, Travel Patterns, Qualitative Research, Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The research examines the impact of new mobility concepts on European tourism growth, specifically analyzing the intersection of travel, transportation infrastructure, and sustainable development.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The work focuses on tourism growth trends, the environmental consequences of transport, infrastructure congestion, and the conceptualization of mobility within both academic and business contexts.
What is the primary research goal?
The study aims to introduce 'mobility' as a formal research area within tourism studies and to understand how new mobility processes can influence the future of the European tourism industry.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The research employs a qualitative, secondary-data-based approach, utilizing a comparative framework to analyze signals from both academic literature and real-world organizational reports.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section covers an extensive literature review on mobility and tourism, followed by an analysis of practical signals from the real world, such as corporate mobility consulting and European transportation policy.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is best characterized by terms such as sustainable development, European tourism, travel mobility, infrastructure management, and intermodal transport solutions.
How does the author define the role of the car in the context of tourism?
The author discusses the car as both a symbol of individual freedom and a significant contributor to congestion and environmental challenges, highlighting the shift towards concepts like car-sharing.
Why is the Eastern European region highlighted?
Eastern Europe is identified as a vital, often overlooked component of the European transport system, offering significant potential as both a generator of tourist flows and an emerging destination market.
- Quote paper
- Ginka Tchervenkova (Author), 2000, Mobility concepts and tourism travel, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/47221
