The role of transport systems in enhancing the sustainability and competitiveness of European tourismM Vougioukas, EuroTrans Consulting Ltd and University of Thessaly, GR.

The integration of travel and tourism planning and management in a systematic way is a field, which has not been researched extensively yet, although current and future policy formulation, implementation and evaluation requires innovative thinking and new research results. Tourism depends on travel services and transport systems in a major way at international, regional and local levels. Conversely travel flows are increasingly for tourism purposes, as tourism becomes the No 1 economic sector of activity in many countries and European regions. Whole communities within regions of the EU, including the new member states depend on tourism activities and their future is linked to tourism development. Transport congestion is frequently caused by tourism flows and in return congestion hinders the further development of tourism as it restricts the carrying capacity. Many initiatives, including by the EU, promote the sustainable development of tourism and promote sustainable transport, but the two sectors, travel and tourism, although inter-related have not been the subject of extensive research into their integrated and systematic planning and management, including economics, logistics and cybernetics. Competitiveness of European tourism depends largely on the competitiveness of the transport systems and travel services. This paper will propose a methodology for integrated and systematic travel and tourism planning and management. In particular, the paper addresses the EU 7th RTD Framework issues that: there is a need to improve the competitiveness of the European tourism in the various modes of transport for tourism and leisure, such as low-cost airlines, charter flights, high-speed trains, cruise ferries and short sea shipping, and that: there is also a need to address the emerging needs from a new typology of travellers (age, gender and cultures), congestion problems in airports and surface transport networks. The critical mass exists in Europe through its diversity of the tourism products and services, including all forms of tourism (mass tourism, urban tourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism, etc). The Integrated approach is expected to enhance European excellence in terms of advances in combining technology and policy for the planning and management of travel and tourism services. For the covering abstract see ITRD E137145.