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The "Human Powered Mobility" project : is it possible to create environment-friendly products and at the same time to try to stimulate tourism demand ?

Peter ANRIG - Acting Director of the Swiss Tourism Federation, Berne, Switzerland

 

Content

1	The essential question : Under what conditions is there sustainability of tourist growth in a globalisation context ? (BD : in this sense !)
2	Innovating and lasting tourist products - strategic objective of the Swiss tourism policy : "Cyclists' Switzerland" : An experienced practical example with economic potential "SuisseMobile" : a high value visionary project for the customers
3	Tourist policy aimed at growth and sustainability-official statement

  

1 - INTRODUCTION

We, tourism professionals are ambitious : we want a lasting development and global competition. We also want growth: quantitative and qualitative - more than well-being and more than charity,. Immediately and for a long time. We condemn poverty, waste of resources and violence towards man, nature and culture. In short: we demand sustainability. In this context the main question is knowing under what conditions can a tourist destination survive economically in the long term.

Research and politics invest considerable sums of money and grey matter - the mountain of knowledge and resolutions increases without stopping. Rio 92 - an outstanding stage - deploys its effects in Switzerland too: The new Federal con-stitution of 1998, in its article 73, places "long-term development" as an essential duty of the State, the government report of 1997 and the report on the tourism policy of the confederation of 1996 demand public heads, and finally also private ones, a lasting action. The awareness that tourist products contrary to the demands of sustainability have few chances of surviving in the long run is imposed even in the routine of tourist media. The images both of decrepit splendours of the tourist past and of the destructive forces of nature finally operate also even in a country like Switzerland, democratically controlled, technically developed and economically powerful. Tourism finds itself on the defendants' bench. The im-age offered and the stock market prices take a blow. This must not be so. Obviously - but then how ?

According to current conviction, economic growth is undistortable, because even a qualitative growth strategy could lead to an impasse. Tourist products, never-theless, ecologically and socially exemplary, do not enjoy the best reputation. They find themselves, at the best, like target products for enemy ecologists of consumerism or for social moralists that criticise tourism.

Is it a question then of established facts or of tenacious prejudice ? There is no place, here and today, for having a discussion of principles. We set out a specific question. Can we develop promising products for the tourist economy, products that are also ecologically and socially above suspicion, that is, lasting.

2 - The answer. Stimulating the tourist demand with truly lasting innovating products

I am convinced that one can even create national products which bear, without lying, the qualification of "lasting". Specific products, started up by the foundation, "Cyclists' Switzerland" - created in 1995 - will illustrate this fact. As a member of the project management and of the council of the foundation I have the privilege to contribute, with a loyal team, to the launching tourist products promising a lasting future, which create an important added value in the long term respecting the ecological and social needs.

The foundation "Cyclists' Switzerland" is a remarkable example of the partner-ship between public and private, without which similar products would not see the light. This foundation includes representatives of the Confederation, of the Cantons, of national tourism, transport and sports as well as of the cycling sector. The partner network even has transport and accommodation enterprises, sponsors and public services.

The "driving force" of these products, both executed or planned, is the "mobility of the human force" with its affinity to the public transport. On the eve of the new millennium, the foundation is working on four products.

 

Two of them will be presented here :

• "Cyclists' Switzerland" : a national product, launched in 1998 and aimed at fol-lowers of cycling tours in Switzerland. 
• "SuisseMobile" : a project begun with a conception phase in 2000 and aimed at summer residents wishing to be active in Switzerland. 

2.1 - Brief portrait of "Cyclists' Switzerland"

 2.1.1 The product is comprised of : 

• Nine national itineraries that spread out over about 3,300 kilometres and several regional itineraries of about 3,000 km.

 

• Complete and uniform signs.
• More than 300 information boards distributed along the itineraries.
• A transport offer without interruption along the national itineraries with more than 160 signposted entry and exit points (on average every 20 km).
• In all 1000 partners in catering and hotel industry, ready to respond to the wishes of the cyclists. 
• A national network of cycle locations with 3,500 engines distributed in 200 stations
• A network of 250 repair shops.
• Information comprising
  • three guides with every three itineraries,   
  • a review map
  • a specific timetable for cycles for trains, buses ad boats
    (only one in the world),
  • interactive presence on the web : www.suisse-a-velo.ch,
  • information circulars to the partners of the foundation, to authorities 
• A national and international promotion with the mediation of Swiss Tourism (printed and electronic supports).
• Booking offers by combinable elements (travelling, lodgings, eating, luggage transport, breakdowns) on all nine itineraries. 
• Control of the results by means of reply-letters enclosed with the guides, of numbers and representative surveys each year, annual surveys with the hotel partners (1,000 enterprises) and transport (30 enterprises).
  

2.1.2 The success factors are

• A higher quality of communication : "Cyclists' Switzerland" and rather the communication than the infrastructure
• An integrated and friendly feature : Swiss price of the 99 design in the services category
• A powerful partnership between public and private: organisation and financing 
• A competent project management
• Execution of an advantageous cost
• A remarkable economical bonus 

 

 

2.2 Brief portrait of "SuisseMobile"

2.2.1 Vision/Objective :

Switzerland is in 2006 the world leader in combined products human powered / public transport products for tourism and leisure.

2.2.2 Stratégy

Integration in national peak offers -for the walking, road and mountain cycling, skating and sailing- and public transport - train, bus, boat and plane - to transport interfaces - stations - by resorting to the most modern communication and diffusions electronic means for information, booking, location, purchase and access.

2.2.3 Organisation

 

SwissMobile unites in a "conference of competent authorities" the partners of the Confederation (seven federal offices), the group of Cantons and national transport organisations (eight organisations/enterprises), tourism (four organisations) and sport (five organisations).

Six delegates of the competent authorities are grouped together in a "steering committee".

The project management is assumed by the team of the project "Cyclist's Switzer-land", with the help of experts in keeping with the different forms of offers.

 

3 - Tourist policy aimed at the growth and sustainability-statement

Lasting development and tourist growth do not contradict each other. It has been proved that new tourist products, integrating lasting development can ensure long-term commercial success. "Cyclists' Switzerland" is in this respect a typical product and "SuisseMobile" presents a much greater economic-tourist potential.

Public, regional and private economic aspects :

• An improved and more rational use of the existing capacities (routes, public transport, hotels, cycling industries, travel agents).
• A high return on investment (based on representative surveys of "Cyclists' Switzerland").
• Income mainly for the touristically under developed and economically weak regions of the Plateau, Jura and Préalpes. 

Ecological aspects :

The "human force" movement hardly produces contamination, CO₂, noise and presents a high-energy efficiency (with the exception of return trips in car or by plane).

Social aspects :

The "human force" movement is favourable for health, relaxation, pleasure, enjoyment as well as human contacts (here also the exceptions confirm the rule).