Research has shown that in the traditional European tourist resorts of the Alpine regions many initiatives have been taken to reduce private vehicle traffic, such as encouraging public transport as well as car-free mobility, whereas very few initiatives exist along the European coasts. Statistics show that the rate of travel by private vehicle to towns with exemplary tourist activities in the Alpine regions is only 55 % and up to 36 % of the package tours to these areas are booked in connection with a railway ticket. In the area of Landkreis Aurich where the LIFE project took place, the rate of private vehicle traffic ranged from 85 to 92 %. Similar rates have been recorded in coastal towns of Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Reducing traffic to tourist resorts can be a way to contribute to climate protection and to stop the increase of CO2 emissions. |