Alps back (AlpenRetour)

Best Practice

Topics

• Mobility
• Regional value added, Protected areas, Mobility

Short description

The aim of AlpenRetour was the promotion of public transport journeys to mountain sports activities through mobility consulting, special offers for public transport and public relation. As a result of the mobility campaign, 1 million pkm of the yearly produced 10 million pkm by SAC and its members could be transferred from motorised individual transport to public transport. The campaign reached 80% of all SAC members.

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Project executive

SAC, the Swiss Alps Club, is the largest alpine club in Switzerland and contains of 111 independent sections and 98'000 members. SAC runs 153 huts, which deal with about 350'000 accommodations per year. As a travel agency, SAC organises classical hiking and touring weeks as well as educations courses for tour guides. Furthermore, SAC sees itself as a nature and environmental club and has expanded its activities to theses areas.

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Participants

-- SAC general management, 5 SAC commissions, 60 SAC sections -- Alpenbüro Netz GmbH / MOVE RAUM / Geo7 -- Schweizer Bundesbahnen (SBB -- Postauto Schweiz -- Verband für öffentlichen Verkehr (VöV) -- Verkehrclub der Schweiz (VCS) -- Mountain Wilderness -- Save the Mountains -- Federal offices: ARE, ASTRA, BAG, BfE, BUWAL

Objectives

Qualitative objectives: -- Statement of the transport problem at mountain sport -- Motivation for the use of public and combined means of transport -- Development of practical possibilities for a environmental friendly transport -- Promotion and realisation of concrete actions and measures -- Adoption of a role model inwards (towards SAC members) and outwards (towards inhabitants of alpine regions, other sports clubs, the public etc.) Quantitative objectives: -- With its tours and courses, SAC produces annually ca. 10 million pkm by car. 10% of the annually produced pkm with cars shall be substituted by public transport.

Activities

-- Mobility consulting in SAC sections -- Alps timetable (available as small booklet "AlpenFahrplan" and on the internet AlpenOnline www.alpenonline.ch) -- Ski touring guide for public transport in Romandie. -- Rail&Sleep Alps ticket (combined ticket for journey with public transport and accommodation in SAC hut) -- SAC multi-day ticket (seven day tickets at the price of six for SAC members) -- SAC education ticket (lump sum for accommodation, meals, course material and course charge) -- Communication and public relation -- Self declaration of SAC sections -- Competition for youngsters

Process

There is no information available.

Results

AlpenRetour was broadly accepted by the SAC sections (50% of all sections took part), although they were faced with different basic conditions. Regarding SAC members, AlpenRetour was well known among SAC members (71% of all members knew about the project). For the sections participating in AlpenRetour, SAC launched a second survey in 2002: 70% of all passenger kilometres (pkm) were covered by public transport. Even though not one-to-one comparable with the first survey in 1998, the result of the second survey showed a clear tendency towards public transport. In a general perspective, about 1.75 million car pkm and 0.27 million car pkm were economised by SAC itself and by privates, respectively, which yields in an energy saving of ca. 1.35 million MJ per annum. As success factors yielded Rail&Sleep Alps ticket, Alps timetable, motivated section functionaries and competent public transport consultants.

Evaluation

AlpenRetour was evaluated with two interim reports in 2001 and 2002, and a final report in 2004 (see publications).

Difficulties

-- Retreat of Rail&Sleep tickets: The product was very popular and successful. However, the expectations of SBB were not met and therefore the ticket had to cease (entrainment effect and high administration costs). -- Excessive demand of sections: Section functionaries work on a volunteer basis in their spare time. -- Finance and communication: For intern and extern communication as well as for the marketing of new products and services were not enough resources available.

Budget

ca. EUR 700'000 (Euro)

Financial backer

- Public funding (federal offices): 2001 CHF 170'000, 2002 CHF 180'000, 2003 CHF 180'000 - Private funding: SAC, SBB, VCS, Save the Mountains, Mountain Wilderness, Alpenbüro Netz GmbH, Geo7

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.alpenretour.ch -- http://www.alpenonline.ch

Publication

-- AlpenRetour, Zwischenbericht Jahr 2001 zuhanden der Projektpartner -- AlpenRetour, Zwischenbericht Jahr 2002 zuhanden der Projektpartner des Bundes -- SAC, 2004: Alpen retour, Resultate und Erfahrungen. Schlussbericht. -- SAC, 2004: Alpen retour, Resultate und Erfahrungen. Kurzfassung. -- Interface/IKAÖ Uni Bern, 2004: Wirkungsanalyse der Mobilitätskampagne "Alpen retour" des Schweizer Alpen-Clubs SAC.

Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

In 60% of SAC sections, motorised individual journeys to alpine regions were substituted by public transport journeys, so that the share of public transport journeys increased from 45% to 70%. This great increase in public transport journeys to alpine regions led to a reduction in emissions and concentrations, which had a positive effect on the alpine environment.

Economic value added

SAC huts experienced an increased demand for meals and accommodations through the mobility campaign. As alpinists that use public transport, especially buses and post coaches in peripheral alpine regions, they contribute to a more efficient operation of theses public transport services.

Socio-cultural value added

AlpenRetour defined and addressed different target groups within the SAC sections, dependent on their language and location (urban, rural, alpine). The public transport journey was an enriching experience for most touring groups as it helped to a better unity and solidarity in the SAC sections.

Innovative content

AlpenOnline as internet service providing all necessary information (public transport timetable, infrastructure and services in huts, march distance and time to huts, reserva-tion possibilities, car sharing, bike renting, shopping facilities etc.) is a pure innovation. The mobility and mountain sports consulting of the SAC sections are regarded as an innovative approach to motivate alpinists for environmental friendly mountain sports activities. The Rail&Sleep Alps ticket as a combination of rail ticket and hut accommodation is also considered an innovative product.

Good governance

SAC is an Alps club with a federal organisation structure. The underlining principle of susidary enabled the SAC sections to participate voluntarily in AlpenRetour. As a conse-quence, the sections were free in setting their quantitative and qualitative goals within the AlpenRetour project.

PR impact

Public relation vis-à-vis SAC members were very effective through the SAC magazine "Die Alpen", with which 80% of all SAC members could be reached. However, public relation vis-à-vis a broad audience was very extensive, as most professional journals and daily newspapers had to be handled individually.

Multiplier effect / networking

AlpenRetour promoted sustainable leisure mobility in alpine regions. The positive experiences within AlpenRetour could influence the general leisure mobility behaviour, which is not necessarily linked with mountain sports activities. SAC was contacted by the French, the Italian, the German and the Austrian Alps clubs as well as by the "Naturfreunde Schweiz" concerning the services and products provided by AlpenRetour, especially the Rail&Sleep Alps ticket and the Alps timetable. In the different regions are some activities already realised or at least planned.

Transferability

Besides the transferability of single elements of AlpenRetour to other hiking and moun-tain sports clubs, the concept and the realisation of the mobility campaign AlpenRetour is also of great relevance for general sports clubs.

Remarks

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Further information