Cross-border public transport as a driver for tourism in the Alps

The Alpine area is object of a high environmental and social pressure caused by the tourist mobility. The modal share tends towards the private vehicle, since in most cases public transport (PT) is not competitive and does not constitute a valid alternative. This condition is due to several interrelated issues, which include connectivity, multimodality, lack of reliability in integrated tariffs and information. Furthermore, it is mostly valid at the transnational level, where orographic conditions hamper connectivity and the cooperation between transport providers is particularly complex for technical, legislative and political reasons. This paper focuses on the current condition of PT in the Alps, highlighting the issues related to the aspects previously mentioned and the implications for tourist mobility. Afterwards, the description of some virtuous initiatives that are undertaken (or are planned to be undertaken) at the transnational level shows a potential change in the mobility paradigm. This approach should be the first step of a more comprehensive strategy, aimed at defining a more appealing tourist mobility by PT for the entire Alpine arc.