Urban walkability and tour bus travel

Urban walkability is receiving increasing research attention due to the environmental and health benefits of walking in comparison to driving, yet little is known regarding the walking behaviors of urban visitors who arrive by tour bus. The purpose of this study is to investigate the walking behaviors of diverse tour bus user groups visiting a spatially complex urban destination to better understand urban walkability, barriers to walking, and the derived benefits to walking for tour bus participants. Using an immersive mixed-methods approach, researchers collected eight days of on-bus/off-bus data to document information specific to walking activities, site-to-site transport, tour bus cruising/idling, operational efficiency, mobility, access, and safety. Four target visitor groups included school age, adults, international, and senior citizen veterans. Pedestrian miles traveled ranged from 2.0 to 10.5 miles during tours that lasted between 4.30 and 14.15 h, while primary barriers to walking included itineraries, weather, and safety considerations. Addressing the psychology of walking to evolve from utilitarian to a purposefully integrated leisure activity within tour bus itineraries is the key to decreasing dependency on tour buses for site-to-site transport in urban destinations.

Management implications

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  Spatially complex urban park designs should consider walkability factors such as access, connectivity, path quality, safety, and aesthetics.

• •Policies that highlight and reward smart mobility should be prioritized to increase utilitarian and leisure walking in urban parks.

• •Tour mode bundles should purposefully embed walking activities in itineraries to increase physical benefits and participant satisfaction.