Project NCN OPUS 27

Tourist behaviour and sustainable travel modes in coastal regions: Tackling
overtourism challenges

Project Leader: dr hab. Monika Bąk, prof. UG

Researchers: Magdalena Jażdżewska-Gutta, PhD; Michael Rościszewski – Dodgson, MSc.
 
Project funded by: National Science Centre, Poland, as part of the OPUS 27 competition

Project number: UMO-2024/53/B/HS4/01855

Project duration: 2025-2027

Keywords: coastal areas, tourist mobility, sustainable transport, Norm Activation Theory, collective action problem

Project objectives and assumptions

The objective of the project is to analyse tourists’ transport behaviour in coastal destinations experiencing overtourism and limited infrastructure capacity. The research examines psychological, social, and contextual determinants of tourists’ choices between sustainable and unsustainable modes of transport, with particular attention to congestion, environmental pressure, and impacts on local communities.

The project is grounded in the assumption that tourists’ mobility behaviour is influenced not only by infrastructural constraints, but also by personal norms, perceived responsibility, self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and moral decoupling. The analytical framework builds on the Norm Activation Model and theories of collective action to explain individual decision-making processes in the context of social dilemmas related to overtourism.

The research is conducted using a mixed-method approach in four coastal regions in Poland and Italy (Hel Peninsula and the Vistula Spit in Poland, as well as the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre in Italy). The integration of quantitative and qualitative methods enables a systematic and comparable analysis of tourist mobility patterns and preferences, and provides an empirical basis for formulating conclusions relevant to the development of sustainable transport policies in coastal destinations. 

Current project status

At the current stage of the project (January 2026), a systematic literature review has been completed, covering key research areas related to overtourism, tourist mobility in coastal regions, sustainable transport, and the psychological and social determinants of tourist behaviour. This review provides the theoretical foundation for the empirical research conducted within the project.

The core empirical research has been carried out in four coastal destinations in Poland and Italy. A large-scale questionnaire survey using the CAPI method has been designed and implemented, including measurement scales for structural equation modelling (SEM) as well as a discrete choice experiment (conjoint analysis) aimed at examining tourists’ preferences for alternative transport modes and their attributes. In parallel, a netnographic study has been conducted to analyse online content and sentiments expressed in digital discussions related to tourist mobility in the analysed destinations.

Quantitative research activities have been complemented by qualitative methods. Individual in-depth interviews have been conducted with multiple stakeholder groups, including residents, tourists, local authorities, non-governmental organisations, businesses, and transport operators, allowing for the exploration of diverse perspectives on tourist mobility and sustainability-related challenges. In addition, field observations using the service safari method have been carried out, providing first-hand evidence on transport experiences, critical bottlenecks, and infrastructural constraints in the studied coastal regions. The collected empirical material constitutes the basis for further analysis and interpretation of the project results.

Articles prepared under the project
 
Bąk, M., Jażdżewska-Gutta, M., (manuscript submitted, under revision). Tourist mobility and coastal sustainability: Insights for European coastal destinations from a systematic literature review.
Bąk, M., Jażdżewska-Gutta, M., Rościszewski – Dodgson, M., (manuscript submitted, under revision). Caught in a Coastal Mobility Trap: Conjoint Evidence from the Vistula Spit’s Car-Dependent Access.
 

Conference Presentations

Brela, Croatia: FEBST Conference 2025: Conference “Economic Policies, Business Perspectives and Sustainability Transformation”, 21-23 May 2025; Presentation: Bąk, M., Jażdżewska-Gutta, M., Tourist mobility in coastal areas: a systematic literature review.
 

The research is funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, under research project “Tourist behaviour and sustainable travel modes in coastal regions: Tackling overtourism challenges”, No. UMO-2024/53/B/HS4/01855