What role for offsetting aviation greenhouse gas emissions in a deep-cut carbon world?

The long-term goal of containing average warming below the 2 °C limit requires deep cuts in emissions from all sectors. The fast growing global aviation industry has committed to reduce carbon emissions. Carbon offsetting is an integral element of the sector's strategy. Already, airlines offer voluntary carbon offsetting to those customers who wish to mitigate the impact of their travel. To ensure carbon offsetting can make a meaningful and credible contribution, this paper first discusses the science behind ‘carbon offsetting’, followed by the associated policy perspective. Then, against the context of different aviation emissions pathways, the paper provides empirical evidence of current airline practices in relation to offsetting mechanisms and communication. Building on these insights, the challenges of reducing aviation emissions and using carbon credits to compensate for ongoing growth are discussed. The paper concludes by proposing five principles of best practice for carbon offsetting that airlines can use as a basis to develop credible emissions strategies, and that could inform the sectoral framework currently being developed by leading aviation organisations.     

Has the tourism-led growth hypothesis been validated? A literature review

Over 10 years have passed since the first paper on the tourism-led growth hypothesis (TLGH) was published in 2002. Since then, a wave of studies has appeared trying to understand the temporal relationship between tourism and economic growth. Hence, it is possible to provide an assessment in terms of econometric methods used and main empirical findings achieved so far. This paper presents an exhaustive review of approximately 100 peer-reviewed published papers on the TLGH. An overview on the economic theoretical framework behind the TLGH is also provided. Notably, the results present an increasing diversification in the econometric modelling used. With a few exceptions, the empirical findings suggest that overall international tourism drives economic growth.     

Is economics good for aviation policy? Some problems in bridging the gap between theory and policy

This paper argues that airport economics is based on the concept of economics as the positive value free science of efficient allocation of scarce resources with given wants, ignoring the approach of economics as a moral science. It assesses critically the results on major policy issues. Although there is strong empirical evidence of natural monopoly of airports, no consensus has emerged. The effects of privatisation have been assessed in terms of cost efficiency, but not in terms of economic welfare and distribution. While airport economics has made theoretical progress, the policy recommendations on single versus dual till are less relevant than those from the older models. Airport expansion is assessed in many cases by economic impact studies instead of cost benefit analysis. Economists applying impact analysis, have contributed to an irrational policy discussion. The role for morals in the management of airports has been neglected, although there is evidence that incentives might backfire. The paper argues that airport economics based on economics as a moral science could improve airport economics, and make its policy recommendations more relevant.     

Hostility or hospitality? A review on violence,bullying and sexual harassment in the tourism and hospitality industry

The present work reviews the current knowledge about violence, bullying and sexual harassment in the tourism and hospitality industry. It indicates the high prevalence of these aggressive behaviours, and identifies structural reasons, insufficient managerial skills and/or common beliefs as their causes. The negative impacts of bullying, violence and sexual harassment on employees include intentions to leave and psychological upset. These personal negative feelings and attitudes contribute to negative organizational performance indicators, such as high staff turnover rate and low profitability. In addition, the high prevalence of violence creates a negative image for the tourism and hospitality industry in general. The review shows that intervention plans are scattered in aims and time frames, focus mainly on managerial policies, and almost completely overlook immediate actions as well as guest violence. Given its importance, the low number of appropriate intervention tools, policies and agendas clearly suggests the urgent need for more research. The final section of the work provides an overview of three core themes that can potentially contribute to the development of an effective intervention agenda, namely, corporate social responsibility, social media and comparisons to other sectors.     

What can we learn from the JATM literature for the future of aviation post Covid-19? - A bibliometric and visualization analysis

This paper aims to draw lessons from retrospectively evaluating the evolution of the air transport discipline right up to the COVID-19 outbreak through the Journal of Air Transport Management (JATM), the main scholarly air transportation journal globally. As such, this study deploys a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and graphical mapping of the JATM knowledge body through CiteSpace visualization of 1483 JATM papers from 2001 to 2019. Our results suggest that while the industry has experienced pandemics and economic crises in the past, both were not dominant in influencing JATM literature neither in frequency nor in impact. That said, recovery, crisis and disruption are important key words in JATM papers not just in regard to safety and economic crisis management but increasingly also related to health concerns with recent key papers published in the pandemic and recovery management context which may have helped the industry dealing with the current crisis as well as current JATM papers on this topic assisting with preparing for a transitioning out of COVID-19 world.     

What about people in cycle network planning? applying participative multicriteria GIS analysis in the case of the Athens metropolitan cycle network

The bicycle is gaining ground as an inexpensive, fast, healthy, and enjoyable mode of transport, but the development of cycle infrastructures appears to be a necessary prerequisite for supporting further growth in cycling rates. Thus far, few studies have developed comprehensive methodologies for the prioritisation of cycling infrastructure investments, and the role of end users has been underestimated in this process. The unique relationship that cyclists develop with the bicycle itself, their co-cyclists, bicycle facilities, and the urban environment as a result of sensory, kinaesthetic, symbolic, or even political reasons can assist in designing cycle facilities that are more efficient and closer to fulfilling the needs and desires of users. We propose a comprehensive four-step methodology for cycle network planning, which both accounts for the city structure and the zones in which higher cycling demand is possible and uses participative multicriteria GIS processes to incorporate cyclists’ views with regard to choosing the cycle network segments. Our case study is Athens, Greece, where cycling facilities are few and heavily fragmented, although cycling demand has recently grown. This methodology may be useful for cities attempting to introduce and prioritise cycling infrastructures because it focuses on determining where cyclists would prefer to cycle to make such investments more successful in attracting users.     

Mergers and service quality in the airline industry: A silver lining for air travelers?

We examine the relationship between mergers in the US domestic market and service quality, as measured through late flights, mishandled bags, involuntary boarding denials and flight cancellations. We find that in the immediate years following a merger, service quality generally deteriorates, and that the drop in service is due simultaneously to the merger and the increased concentration of the market. Thus, recent mergers in the US, including Delta and Northwest, United and Continental, Southwest and AirTran, have likely resulted in increased market concentration and decreased service levels. From a public policy perspective, our results point to the importance of regulators monitoring airline actions, such as mergers and acquisitions, that serve to increase the concentration of markets, and may also result in decreased service quality.     

Are freight pipelines a pipe dream? A critical review of the UK and European perspective

Freight pipelines represent a novel way for the movement of freight transport and offer an alternative to conventional transport modes. The aim of this paper is to examine the potential for this transport mode within the UK and Europe. Firstly, the latest technological developments are identified, building on the last major review by Howgego and Roe (1998). There is then an analysis of the policy landscape towards freight pipelines, as successful implementation will require the support of policy makers. Finally, some of the major benefits and issues with freight pipelines are highlighted. We conclude that there are still opportunities for the use of freight pipelines, but that further research is yet required to fully understand the supply chain, logistics and other related activities that the introduction of this technology may influence. This is because systems which are presently in commercial operation have exhibited excellent characteristics, although they have not been more widely adopted.     

Neopagan Pilgrimages in the Age of the Internet: A Life Changing Religious Experience or an Example of Commodification?

This paper focuses on the phenomenon of Neopagan ‘pilgrimages’, which are advertised on the Internet and directed to various ancient sacred sites in Greece and in the Mediterranean Sea. After showing how travellers to Greece in the Modern Age have been inspired by classical myths and have often represented their trips as ‘pilgrimages’, the paper examines how Neopagans, women belonging to the Goddess Spirituality Movement, use travels to ancient sacred places as a way to reconstruct their own identity. Therefore, the perception and representation of the tourist journey as ‘pilgrimage’ obscures the reality of the commodification of religious experiences, in a globalised context in which different consumers ‘buy’ different experiences of ancient Greece.     

Automobile use,fuel economy and CO2 emissions in industrialized countries: Encouraging trends through 2008?

Car use and fuel economy are factors that determine oil demand and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Recent data on automobile utilization and fuel economy reveal surprising trends that point to changes in oil demand and CO₂ emissions. New vehicle and on-road fleet fuel economy have risen in Europe and Japan since the mid 1990s, and in the US since 2003. Combined with a plateau in per capita vehicle use in all countries analyzed, these trends indicate that per capita fuel use and resultant tail-pipe CO₂ emissions have stagnated or even declined.Fuel economy technology, while important, is not the only factor that explains changes in tested and on-road fuel economy, vehicle efficiency and transport emissions across countries. Vehicle size and performance choices by car producers and buyers, and driving distances have also played significant roles in total fuel consumption, and explain most of the differences among countries. Technology applied to new vehicles managed to drive down the fuel use per unit of horsepower or weight by 50%, yet most of the potential fuel savings were negated by overall increased power and weight, particularly in the US. Similarly, the promise of savings from dieselization of the fleet has revealed itself as a minor element of the overall improvement in new vehicle or on-road fuel economy. And the fact that diesels are driven so much more than gasoline cars, a difference that has increased since 1990, argues that those savings are minimal. This latter point is a reminder that car use, not just efficiency or fuel choice, is an important determinant of total fuel use and CO₂ emissions.We speculate that if the upward spiral of car weight and power slows or even reverses (as has been observed in Europe and Japan) and the now mandatory standards in many countries have the intended effect that fuel use will remain flat or only grow weakly for some time. If real fuel prices of 2008, which rivaled their peaks of the early 1980s, fell back somewhat but still remain well above their early 2000 values. If the prices remain high, this, combined with the strengthened fuel economy standards, may finally lead to new patterns of car ownership, use and fuel economy. However, if fuel prices continue their own stagnation or even decline after the peaks of 2008 and car use starts upward, fuel use will increase again, albeit more slowly.     

Pastoral Livelihoods in Tanzania: Can the Maasai Benefit from Conservation?

The Maasai pastoralists of Northern Tanzania live in areas of unique conservation value. There is a widespread belief dating from colonial times that Maasai cattle herding is unproductive and detrimental to the region's wildlife. The increase in the Maasai population has fuelled this belief and has led to their exclusion from their traditional land and a breakdown in their land management strategies. This decreases their capacity to maintain a livelihood, and so they must turn to non-traditional methods. This paper looks at how the Maasai have been excluded from their lands and why this has caused traditional livelihoods to become unsustainable. It then goes on to suggest that community-based tourism offers possible alternative sustainable solutions both to the Maasai and to conservationists.     

Making plans or “just thinking about the trip”? Understanding people’s travel planning in practice

ICT solutions have been proposed as a means for changing environmentally unfavourable traffic behaviour by providing better, real-time and more accessible travel information. However, prevailing models of travel choice and travel behaviour tend to overemphasise the impact and importance of information and the individualistic perspective. The issue of choice and travel planning in everyday life situations, and how information is used and acted on in these processes, was examined in a qualitative study in Stockholm, Sweden. Practice Theory was used as the theoretical framework for the study. Interviews were supplemented with an explorative diary and photo assignment to bring unreflected choices and actions of planning travel to the conscious level.The results showed that travel planning involves the immediate situation where planning and decisions are made, but also aspirations, cognitive/time/material limitations, social norms and social relations that extend widely in time and space. Definitions of travel planning and travel information based on the situated practices of planning are suggested. In the muddle of everyday life, travel planning takes place in the brief moments where circumstances at different levels – time, place, the social realm - interact and are considered or directly acted upon. In the development of new ICT-based travel information services, the role of technology in changing normal practices should be considered.     

Changing port-city relations at Amsterdam: A new phase at the interface?

In this paper, we investigate whether a new phase in port-city development is emerging. We have done this by analysing the scientific literature on present and future spatial developments of the port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands in terms of the spatial and environmental policies and the viewpoints of port firms. It appears that in the Port of Amsterdam, but also in other ports, the expansion pace of the port area is slowing down, while at the same time the city is expanding in the direction of the port at an increasing speed. In the beginning, this conflict was rather passive, in the sense that the conflict was about how the redevelopment should take place. However, the conflict has evolved further to questioning whether any redevelopment should take place. This implies that a new phase in the development of the port-city interface has emerged.     

Why did the chicken cross the road,and what’s funny about it? The role of transportation cartoons in social experiences

This article samples a number of transport related situations that cartoonists sketch in the media, thereby taking a stand and offering solutions regarding transportation issues. We discuss the relationship that is created by the cartoonists and ultimately involves both the general public and transportation professionals. Our analysis offers insight into popular perceptions of transportation experiences through social commentary, transmitted as graphic humor, regarding common situations, which are observed in transport systems. A theory and qualitative research based approach is used to address the complex connections between our daily responses and transportation contexts. An analysis of topical components of transportation systems and experiences as perceived by users and policymakers utilize the representations by cartoonists. By examining how the issues interrelate, we built a storyline that presents observations and critiques.     

Shining light on the darkness. Placing tourists within North Korean tourism. Comment on: Desiring the dark: ‘A taste for the unusual’ in North Korean tourism?

Few studies exist of tourism in North Korea. Many passing references to tourism have been distanced from actual tourists. Visiting North Korea is a form of moral political tourism that has no relationship to dark tourism or fantasy, but represents tourist interest in seeking to discover a ‘real’ North Korea that is distinct from hegemonic political narratives from outside or inside the country. Tourism is associated with the need to evaluate and reconsider political orthodoxies and ideologies, and discover an everyday environment.     

A compact city for the wealthy? Employment accessibility inequalities between occupational classes in the London metropolitan region 2011

The prevalence of gentrification and housing marketisation processes in many cities points to increasingly wealthy inner-city areas and potentially greater population segregation by income. It is plausible that these trends are contributing to regional accessibility inequalities, though quantitative research testing this link is limited. This paper examines differences in employment accessibility between Standard Occupational Classification groups in the London Metropolitan Region for 2011 for car, transit, bus only and walking modes. Additionally, changes in occupational class populations 2006–2016 are considered, revealing continuing inner-city gentrification. Employment accessibility is calculated using cumulative measures, based on travel times from multi-modal network modelling. The results show that while car accessibility is relatively equal between occupational classes, public transport, bus and walk accessibility have significant inequalities favouring professional classes. Low income groups have lower accessibility for the most affordable bus and walk modes, and inequalities are greater for residents in the wider metropolitan region. Furthermore, professional groups combine accessibility advantages with the highest rates of owner occupation, maximising housing wealth benefits. Lower income groups are exposed to rent increases, though this is offset by social housing, which remains the most prevalent tenure in Inner London for low income classes.     

International Mobility Biographies: A Means to Capture the Institutionalisation of Long-distance Travel?

An important aspect of current international travel and tourism is the degree to which they are becoming embedded as regularised and prescribed parts of the lives of individuals, families, and various organisations. At the individual and family levels, patterns of regularised international mobility often only manifest themselves on a time scale that far exceeds that of the reference periods normally used in long-distance travel surveys. Other methods are thus needed to address these issues. This paper discusses a particular method used in ongoing research into the international mobility of young Swedes. Students in the last year of upper secondary school are asked to formulate their international mobility biographies, i.e. all international trips conducted during their childhood and adolescence. The paper discusses the potential of such a ‘biographical approach’ to gathering information about various forms of the regularisation or institutionalisation of international mobility. The approach suggested is contextualised through a review of relevant biographically oriented concepts and approaches in the fields of mobility and tourism research. Methodological challenges involved in collecting information on travel behaviour retrospectively are then discussed, with reference to initial experience gained from research concerning the international mobility of young Swedes.     

Competition or complementarity in Dutch inland port development: A case of overproximity?

The port economics literature is extensive, but does not address well the economic effects of inland ports development. This paper explores the extent to which spatial proximity of inland ports vis-a-vis each other influences agglomeration externalities. Spatially lagged regression models are employed to analyse whether spatial dependence between proximate inland ports can be observed or, alternatively, whether the density of the inland port network in the Netherlands is leading to diseconomies of scale because of overproximity. The conclusions indicate that especially in the context of the dense fluvial network of the Netherlands inland ports development involves much competition among inland ports; being proximite to strong neighbouring inland ports is not necessarily beneficial to the growth prospects of an inland port. This indication of overproximity highlights a need for reflection on the possibility of an integrated and coordinated regional governance approach towards inland port development in the Netherlands and North-West Europe. The relationship between inland ports and regional development is obviously present, but ambiguous since it involves a multiplicity of interactions among a diversity of actors.