IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i18p7646-d414472.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mindsets Set in Concrete? Exploring the Perspectives of Domestic Travellers on New Zealand’s (Auto-)Mobility Culture

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Juschten

    (Institute for Transport Studies, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Peter Jordan Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria)

  • Shannon Page

    (Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, Society and Design, Lincoln University, Ellesmere Junction Road/Springs Road, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand)

  • Helen Fitt

    (Centre of Excellence: Sustainable Tourism for Regions, Landscapes and Communities, Lincoln University, Ellesmere Junction Road/Springs Road, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand)

Abstract

Tourism trips in New Zealand are strongly car-dominated. Research suggests that such car use practices do not only emerge from purely rational economic considerations but also result from symbolic and affective motives, institutionalized mobility cultures, and habitualized mobility practices that have developed and materialized in spatial structures over decades. This paper explores the notion of automobility and its influence on the domestic tourism mobilities of Christchurch residents. It does so by applying Q methodology, an inherently mixed method that involves participants structuring statements by their level of agreement, followed by a range of qualitative post-sorting questions. The statements draw on insights from the study of tourism mobilities, mobility cultures and classical mode choice research, allowing this study to provide novel insights into the under-researched field of urban–rural tourism mobility. The juxtaposition of quantitative Q and the qualitative interview results reveals influential factors at the personal, interpersonal, societal/political and infrastructural level. The results then feed into a conceptualisation of influential factors of tourism mobility choices using an embedded, interlinked structure that captures the dynamics of social interactions (i.e., feedback-loops). Policy implications are discussed with regards to possible sustainability pathways in line with New Zealand’s decarbonisation strategy.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Juschten & Shannon Page & Helen Fitt, 2020. "Mindsets Set in Concrete? Exploring the Perspectives of Domestic Travellers on New Zealand’s (Auto-)Mobility Culture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7646-:d:414472
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7646/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7646/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aaron Gutiérrez & Daniel Miravet & Òscar Saladié & Salvador Anton Clavé, 2019. "Transport Mode Choice by Tourists Transferring from a Peripheral High-Speed Rail Station to Their Destinations: Empirical Evidence from Costa Daurada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Jörg Firnkorn & Martin Müller, 2012. "Selling Mobility instead of Cars: New Business Strategies of Automakers and the Impact on Private Vehicle Holding," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 264-280, May.
    3. Marrocu, Emanuela & Paci, Raffaele, 2013. "Different tourists to different destinations. Evidence from spatial interaction models," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 71-83.
    4. Davies, N.J. & Weston, R., 2015. "Reducing car-use for leisure: Can organised walking groups switch from car travel to bus and train walks?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 23-29.
    5. Haustein, Sonja & Nielsen, Thomas A. Sick, 2016. "European mobility cultures: A survey-based cluster analysis across 28 European countries," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 173-180.
    6. Steg, Linda, 2005. "Car use: lust and must. Instrumental, symbolic and affective motives for car use," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 39(2-3), pages 147-162.
    7. Anable, Jillian, 2005. "'Complacent Car Addicts' or 'Aspiring Environmentalists'? Identifying travel behaviour segments using attitude theory," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 65-78, January.
    8. Juvan, Emil & Dolnicar, Sara, 2014. "The attitude–behaviour gap in sustainable tourism," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 76-95.
    9. Mimi Sheller & John Urry, 2000. "The City and the Car," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 737-757, December.
    10. Juvan, Emil & Dolnicar, Sara, 2016. "Measuring environmentally sustainable tourist behaviour," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 30-44.
    11. Collin-Lange, Virgile & Benediktsson, Karl, 2011. "Entering the regime of automobility: car ownership and use by novice drivers in Iceland," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 851-858.
    12. Wilson, Sharon & Hannam, Kevin, 2017. "The frictions of slow tourism mobilities: Conceptualising campervan travel," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 25-36.
    13. Tim Chatterton & Charlie Wilson, 2014. "The 'Four Dimensions of Behaviour' framework: a tool for characterising behaviours to help design better interventions," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(1), pages 38-61, February.
    14. Quintal, Vanessa Ann & Lee, Julie Anne & Soutar, Geoffrey N., 2010. "Risk, uncertainty and the theory of planned behavior: A tourism example," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 797-805.
    15. Aaron Gutiérrez & Daniel Miravet, 2016. "The Determinants of Tourist Use of Public Transport at the Destination," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-16, September.
    16. Jain, Juliet, 2011. "The classy coach commute," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 1017-1022.
    17. Thomas Klinger & Martin Lanzendorf, 2016. "Moving between mobility cultures: what affects the travel behavior of new residents?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 243-271, March.
    18. Klinger, Thomas & Kenworthy, Jeffrey R. & Lanzendorf, Martin, 2013. "Dimensions of urban mobility cultures – a comparison of German cities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 18-29.
    19. Milakis, Dimitris & Kroesen, Maarten & van Wee, Bert, 2018. "Implications of automated vehicles for accessibility and location choices: Evidence from an expert-based experiment," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 142-148.
    20. Fitt, Helen, 2018. "Habitus and the loser cruiser: How low status deters bus use in a geographically limited field," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 228-233.
    21. Hopkins, Debbie & Stephenson, Janet, 2016. "The replication and reduction of automobility: Findings from Aotearoa New Zealand," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 92-101.
    22. Mario Cools & Elke Moons & Brecht Janssens & Geert Wets, 2009. "Shifting towards environment-friendly modes: profiling travelers using Q-methodology," Transportation, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 437-453, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wolf, Ingo & Schröder, Tobias, 2019. "Connotative meanings of sustainable mobility: A segmentation approach using cultural sentiments," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 259-280.
    2. Hopkins, Debbie & Stephenson, Janet, 2016. "The replication and reduction of automobility: Findings from Aotearoa New Zealand," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 92-101.
    3. Jukka Heinonen & Michał Czepkiewicz & Áróra Árnadóttir & Juudit Ottelin, 2021. "Drivers of Car Ownership in a Car-Oriented City: A Mixed-Method Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-26, January.
    4. Santoso, Djoen San & Yajima, Masaru & Sakamoto, Kunihiro & Kubota, Hisashi, 2012. "Opportunities and strategies for increasing bus ridership in rural Japan: A case study of Hidaka City," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 320-329.
    5. Cristina Pronello & Jean-Baptiste Gaborieau, 2018. "Engaging in Pro-Environment Travel Behaviour Research from a Psycho-Social Perspective: A Review of Behavioural Variables and Theories," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
    6. Gustav Bösehans & Ian Walker, 2020. "Do supra-modal traveller types exist? A travel behaviour market segmentation using Goal framing theory," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 243-273, February.
    7. Toşa, Cristian & Sato, Hitomi & Morikawa, Takayuki & Miwa, Tomio, 2018. "Commuting behavior in emerging urban areas: Findings of a revealed-preferences and stated-intentions survey in Cluj-Napoca, Romania," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 78-93.
    8. Shiwei Shen & Marios Sotiriadis & Qing Zhou, 2020. "Could Smart Tourists Be Sustainable and Responsible as Well? The Contribution of Social Networking Sites to Improving Their Sustainable and Responsible Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Pipatpong Fakfare & Walanchalee Wattanacharoensil, 2023. "Low‐carbon tourism for island destinations: A crucial alternative for sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 180-197, February.
    10. Hickman, Robin & Chen, Chia-Lin & Chow, Andy & Saxena, Sharad, 2015. "Improving interchanges in China: the experiential phenomenon," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 175-186.
    11. Dominic Villeneuve & David Durán-Rodas & Anthony Ferri & Tobias Kuttler & Julie Magelund & Michael Mögele & Luca Nitschke & Eriketti Servou & Cat Silva, 2019. "What is Interdisciplinarity in Practice? Critical Reflections on Doing Mobility Research in an Intended Interdisciplinary Doctoral Research Group," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    12. Nielsen, Jesper Riber & Hovmøller, Harald & Blyth, Pascale-L. & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2015. "Of “white crows” and “cash savers:” A qualitative study of travel behavior and perceptions of ridesharing in Denmark," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 113-123.
    13. Sascha von Behren & Lisa Bönisch & Ulrich Niklas & Bastian Chlond, 2020. "Revealing Motives for Car Use in Modern Cities—A Case Study from Berlin and San Francisco," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-18, June.
    14. Sultana, Selima, 2015. "Factors associated with students' parking-pass purchase decisions: Evidence from an American University," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 65-75.
    15. S. S. Ganji & A. N. Ahangar & Samaneh Jamshidi Bandari, 2022. "Evaluation of vehicular emissions reduction strategies using a novel hybrid method integrating BWM, Q methodology and ER approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(10), pages 11576-11614, October.
    16. Goletz, Mirko & Haustein, Sonja & Wolking, Christina & L’Hostis, Alain, 2020. "Intermodality in European metropolises: The current state of the art, and the results of an expert survey covering Berlin, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Paris," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 109-122.
    17. Ashmore, David P. & Pojani, Dorina & Thoreau, Roselle & Christie, Nicola & Tyler, Nicholas A., 2019. "Gauging differences in public transport symbolism across national cultures: implications for policy development and transfer," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 26-38.
    18. Davies, Nick, 2012. "What are the ingredients of successful travel behavioural change campaigns?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 19-29.
    19. Else Ragni Yttredal & Nathalie Homlong, 2020. "Perception of Sustainable Development in a Local World Heritage Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, October.
    20. Václav Plevka & Pieter Segaert & Chris M. J. Tampère & Mia Hubert, 2016. "Analysis of travel activity determinants using robust statistics," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(6), pages 979-996, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7646-:d:414472. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.