ABSTRACT
Travel behaviour is inextricably linked to “time” in diverse ways with implications for sustainable mobility. At the most basic level, time is linked to travel through the speed equals-distance-divided-by-time equation. In this way natural laws govern the distance people may travel relative to the speed of movement and the time available. With less time available, distance decreases unless speed is increased. In general, increased travel speed is associated with higher energy intensity (Poumanyvong et al., 2012). Given our current dependence on fossil fuel-based travel modes, this has led to higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Similarly, allocating more time to travel enables travel over a longer distance with greater GHG emissions even if speed is not increased. If more time to travel is available and there is access to faster modes, this has a twofold effect on increasing GHG emissions. However, the time allocated to travel in our daily lives has remained relatively constant and increased distance is a result of higher speed (Metz, 2008). Speed has increased in tourism through improved car and train infrastructure and greater use of aviation, and with it, both distance travelled and GHG emissions (Gössling et al., 2009). The car and air travel dominate tourism transport modes (Scott et al., 2010) and together account for 72 per cent of tourism GHG emissions (United Nations World Tourism Organisation — United Nations Environment Programme — World Meteorological Organisation, 2008). Though air travel plays a significant role in the GHG emissions of tourism (Becken, 2002), the focus of this study is on destination-based travel. The destination travel element is largely overlooked in existing sustainable tourism research (Hunter, 2002; La Lopa and Day, 2011) and the need for more research is well recognised (Warnken et al., 2004). Therefore, the subsequent analysis considers land-based travel at a destination, especially car use.
