On 13 March 2025, MONA hosted its second webinar focusing on the role of behavioural insights in promoting sustainable travel choices.
Tourism is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, with transport playing a major role in its environmental impact. While many travellers express concern about sustainability, their actual choices often do not reflect this awareness. Tourists tend to behave differently when on holiday, prioritising convenience over sustainability. To address this, the webinar explored how behavioural nudging can encourage greener travel habits.
Driven by the need for more sustainable tourism practices, the Wadden Sea National Park developed Waddi, a digital tool to manage visitor flows in response to growing tourism pressures on local communities and ecosystems. Søren Christensen presented this browser-based platform that uses AI and data analytics to provide real-time visitor guidance. By integrating satellite imagery, weather reports and traffic data, the tool helps tourists make informed decisions while promoting responsible travel behaviour. A pilot project on the island of Fanø used social media advertising and QR codes to engage visitors. While initial results were promising, uptake remained relatively low, highlighting the need for further improvements in content and outreach. To increase its effectiveness, efforts are now underway to integrate Waddi with national tourism databases to extend its reach and impact.
The following presentation by Jörn Basel of the Institute of Tourism and Mobility highlighted the gap between tourists' stated environmental concerns and their actual behaviour. While many claim to support sustainable travel, few actively choose greener options unless prompted to do so. In Engelberg, Switzerland, a pilot project used a small reward to encourage visitors arriving by car to take the train on their next trip. The results showed that single nudges often fail to bring about significant change, highlighting the need for consistent, well-designed interventions that make sustainable options the default choice.
Accessibility of public transport is another critical factor in sustainable tourism. Werner Gronau from the University of Applied Sciences Stralsund presented the case for free public transport for tourists, arguing that the distinction between tourists and locals in transport planning is becoming increasingly outdated. Several successful examples show how integrated ticketing systems can change behaviour. In the German district of Lippe, a regional bus service was redesigned to serve both tourists and local residents, with new stops, revised fare structures and a targeted marketing campaign. Passenger numbers doubled, proving that well-planned transport policies can reduce car dependency. Meanwhile, guest passes such as the Konus-Card in the Black Forest and the South Tyrol Guest Pass have shown how including public transport in the cost of accommodation can ensure financial sustainability while promoting greener travel choices.
Technological solutions are also playing an increasing role in managing visitor mobility. Nuuksio National Park, near Helsinki, has struggled with traffic congestion and illegal parking as the vast majority of its 350,000 annual visitors arrive by private car. To address this issue, Olli Pihlajamaa presented the Parkkihaukka (Park Hawk) system, an AI-based solution designed to improve parking management. The system used real-time camera data to monitor parking availability, allowing visitors to check space availability before arriving and suggesting alternatives such as public transport or quieter parking areas. While the system proved popular in pilot tests, funding and infrastructure constraints led to its discontinuation in 2021. However, demand for such solutions remains high and further refinements are needed to improve effectiveness and scalability.
Nina Nesterova from Breda University of Applied Sciences looked at how nudging techniques can be applied to nature tourism. Visitors' transport decisions are influenced by both practical constraints, such as limited public transport options, and ingrained habits. Strategies such as real-time information, communicating social norms and framing sustainable choices as the easiest or most rewarding option can help change behaviour without imposing restrictions. Case studies from Finland and the UK showed that well-targeted messaging campaigns can significantly reduce car use in natural areas.
You can find the presentations here:
Green Nudging project at Fanø in The Wadden Sea
Søren Christensen, Nationalpark Vadehavet, Denmark
More than Just a Nudge: Customer-centred promotion of sustainable mobility behaviour in outdoor tourism
Jörn Basel, HSLU Hochschule Luzern, Switzerland
Encouraging behavioural change towards sustainable tourism: a German approach to free public transport for tourists
Werner Gronau, University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, Germany
Nudging towards sustainable mobility behaviour in urban nature destinations’: The Park Hawk mobile information service
Olli Pihlajamaa, VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland
Nudging sustainable mobility behaviour to and within nature areas
Nina Nesterova, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands