Abstract
The purpose of this research is to analyse international holiday motoring in Western Europe. The aim is to present an effective analysis which will form the basis for the prediction of future trends in accompanied car travel. In the introduction to the study, the framework of the research is established, and the limitations of international tourist statistics are discussed. These statistics only provide guides to the overall scale of passenger travel in Western Europe. Detailed study requires recognition of the journey purpose, the mode of transport, the socio-economic characteristics of holidaymakers, and the results of travel decisions. These data are obtained by sample survey, and a substantial proportion of the study has been devoted to a critical investigation of data sources research studies, and literature on tourism, recreation, and passenger transport. British, North American, and Western European studies are investigated to assess;the impact of recreational and tourist travel, car ownership and use, environmental issues, the economics of passenger transport, analytical techniques, the methodology of tourism and car ownership forecasting, and thesocio-economic and behavioural influences on tourist travel demand. The study seeks to explain the dominance of the private car in the modal distribution of holiday passenger travel in Western Europe, the links between private and public transport, eg. cars and car ferries, and the factors influencing the scale and direction of travel. Contrasts are presented between European countries in car ownership and use, the generation of tourist traffic, and the historical development of international passenger transport. Flow patterns of origins and destinations, seasonality of travel, and the social and economic impact of holiday motoring especially on accommodation services,are also described. The nature and effect of the relationship between the mode of transport and the type and organisation of holiday travel, independent or inclusive tour, is stressed throughout the study, and the relationship between the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of passengers and their choice of transport and travel organisation is examined in detail. The concluding section of the research is devoted to forecasting future levels of accompanied car travel, primarily to and from the United Kingdom. The predicted trends are related to the analysis of car ferry traffic and the plans for construction of the Channel Tunnel.