As tourists prepare to pack their suitcases for a summer trip, decisions about how to be a green holidaymaker increasingly involve how to move around the resort or city, as well as how to get there.

Walking and cycling are still regarded as the most sustainable ways to explore holiday destinations. They reduce emissions, improve health and wellbeing and allow visitors to engage more closely with local places.

Some popular holiday destinations make it much easier for tourists to walk, cycle or use public transport to get around, while in other places driving is the most obvious option, adding to congestion and overcrowded transport systems. Our past study indicates that what decisions tourist hubs make about design and transport can influence travellers’ transport choices on arrival.

What destinations can do

Many cities, including Paris, are investing in helping tourists and locals get around in an environmentally friendly way. The French capital has a €250 million (£216 million) programme to add more cycle lanes and paths. But simply expanding infrastructure is not enough. Visitors need transport systems that they can use easily and make them feel comfortable and safe.

Several other European cities are demonstrating how active travel can be successfully integrated into the visitor experience.

Copenhagen is often regarded as one of the world’s most cycle-friendly cities. But its success is not simply the result of having more cycle........

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