Even now, tourism and leisure traffic accounts for half of all European transport, they add. In addition, average duration of stays in tourist destinations is declining, further raising transport intensity. Unsustainable transport patterns are the groups' main focus. They call for kilometre charge in on road use and raised landing and take-off charges for flights under 800km as well as action to tax jet fuel. The objective, they say, should be to shift tourists onto public transport.
Stricter controls are also needed at tourism destinations, the memorandum argues.
Policies demanded include incentives for longer stays such as lower value-added tax for stays exceeding one week and an EU infrastructure levy on large tourism facilities outside urban areas. Further development of leisure facilities should depend on the availability of water and waste disposal facilities, and taxes on second homes should be harmonised and raised. This agreement will result in cuts of 49,000 tonnes annually of SOx and NOx by 2004 and an additional 6,000 tonnes by 2008.