Leisure travel is becoming increasingly international. Especially in central Europe where the distances are rather short and countries share borders, convenient international transport connections and information services are essential for tourism.
INE and the Constance University of Applied Sciences in Germany conducted a case study in the Lake Constance region with focus on sustainable tourism and cross-border leisure travel in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The Lake Constance region is a popular touristic area with versatile attractions and a lot of car traffic. The aim of the case study was to develop a sustainable mobility concept for the region. Stakeholder cooperation turned out to be essential for creating smooth public transport connections with compatible tariffs and timetables. Active transport modes are also suitable for the region and their use could be further supported for example through convenient, affordable bicycle transport in trains and busses.
The Lake Constance region already has numerous companies offering car sharing services and more sustainable transport modes such as electric bikes and segways (see following figure). Cross-border, international services are however limited and further cooperation between the service providers would be needed.
For more information see the final report “Mobility Lake” (pdf) (in German)
The Mobility Lake project was financed by the International Bodensee Hochschule (IBH). The IBH is an association connecting universities and universities of applied sciences from Germany, Lichtenstein, Austria and Switzerland.