NECTAR creates a new cluster on Leisure, Recreation and Tourism

The first meeting of the cluster on “Leisure, Recreation and Tourism” of the Network on European Communication and Transport Activities Research (NECTAR) will be held in Lugano (Switzerland), between the 29th of September and the 1st of October.

Under the title “Tourism and Transport: exploration of interdependencies”, the event is co-organized with the Tourism Observatory of the Institute for Economic Research of the University of Lugano, involving the participation of several members of the Regional Science Academy: Peter Nijkamp and João Romão are among the co-chairs of this new cluster, while Aura Reggiani will moderate the final round table of the event.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the key elements that compose the complex relationship between transport and tourism. From several points of view, transport and tourism can be considered mutually dependent. Transport plays a relevant role in tourism flows from origin to destination and within the destination. On the one hand, there are substantial influences of elements such as accessibility and connectivity, on the structure and the development of a touristic destination. On the other hand, there exist situations where tourism development represents a catalyst for transport initiatives. Finally, the integration of transport in the tourism development requires the comprehension of how mobility decisions fit within the tourist experience.