Family riding a train that transforms into a forest, symbolizing sustainable travel.

Ditch the Car, Embrace the Train? How Free Public Transport is Changing the Tourism Game

Reese Marlowe in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how fare-free travel policies are revolutionizing tourist destinations, offering a greener and more accessible travel experience."

The tourism industry, while a significant economic driver, contributes substantially to global carbon emissions. Transportation alone accounts for a staggering 72% of the CO2 emissions associated with overnight tourism. While international travel often points the finger at air travel, domestic trips reveal a different culprit: private cars. In fact, studies show that a whopping 90% of domestic trips in developed countries are made by car, making it a prime target for emission reduction efforts.

Recognizing this challenge, many destinations are exploring ways to incentivize travelers to choose greener modes of transport. Among these strategies, fare-free public transport policies stand out as a potentially transformative solution. By removing the financial barrier to public transit, these policies aim to encourage tourists to leave their cars behind and embrace buses, trains, and trams.

One innovative example is unfolding in a Swiss tourism destination, where overnight guests staying at least three nights can now enjoy free access to the entire Swiss public transport network for their arrival and departure. This bold move not only reduces the cost of sustainable travel to zero but also provides a unique opportunity to study the real-world impact of fare-free policies on tourist behavior.

The Swiss Experiment: A Causal Analysis of Tourist Travel Choices

Family riding a train that transforms into a forest, symbolizing sustainable travel.

To understand the effectiveness of this fare-free initiative, researchers delved into the travel choices of overnight guests in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. This region, known for its stunning alpine scenery and commitment to cultural heritage, launched the free public transport offer in 2020, giving researchers a unique opportunity to observe its impact.

The study focused on determining whether access to free public transport influenced tourists' decisions to choose trains and buses over private cars. The key challenge was isolating the impact of the fare-free policy from other factors that might affect travel choices. To tackle this, the researchers leveraged a clever approach: they exploited the fact that not all hotel guests were equally informed about the availability of the free ticket.

Informed vs. Uninformed Guests: The researchers compared the travel behavior of guests who were informed about the free transport offer by their hotel with those who were not. This allowed them to isolate the causal effect of the policy, as if it were a controlled experiment.
Matching Methods: Using statistical techniques like causal forest and propensity score matching, the researchers ensured that they were comparing groups of guests with similar characteristics, minimizing the influence of other factors.
Focus on Domestic Travel: By focusing on domestic travel, the study provided valuable insights into a segment often overshadowed by research on international tourism.

The results were compelling. The study found that informing guests about the fare-free public transport offer led to a significant shift in travel mode choice. On average, the probability of a guest choosing public transport (instead of a car) increased by 11.6 to 14.8 percentage points, depending on the statistical method used. This represents a substantial impact, demonstrating the power of fare-free policies to encourage sustainable travel.

More Sustainable Travels

The study's findings have important implications for policymakers and tourism operators looking to promote sustainable travel. By demonstrating the effectiveness of fare-free public transport, the research provides a strong argument for implementing similar policies in other destinations. These initiatives not only reduce carbon emissions but also enhance the accessibility and appeal of tourism destinations, creating a win-win situation for both the environment and the economy.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2401.14945,

Title: Free Public Transport To The Destination: A Causal Analysis Of Tourists' Travel Mode Choice

Subject: econ.gn q-fin.ec

Authors: Kevin Blättler, Hannes Wallimann, Widar Von Arx

Published: 26-01-2024

Everything You Need To Know

How does fare-free public transport impact tourism, and what are the key benefits?

Fare-free public transport significantly impacts tourism by encouraging tourists to use buses, trains, and trams instead of private cars. The primary benefits include a reduction in carbon emissions, making travel more sustainable. Moreover, it enhances the accessibility of destinations, making them more appealing to visitors, and can boost local economies by increasing tourist spending in the area, creating a 'win-win' scenario for both the environment and the local economy.

What role does transportation play in the environmental impact of the tourism industry?

Transportation is a major contributor to the environmental impact of the tourism industry. It accounts for a substantial portion of the carbon emissions associated with tourism. Specifically, transportation is responsible for 72% of the CO2 emissions related to overnight tourism. Private cars are a significant source of these emissions, especially for domestic trips, where a large percentage of travel is done by car.

Can you explain the experiment conducted in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden and its methodology?

In Appenzell Innerrhoden, the experiment involved offering overnight guests staying at least three nights free access to the Swiss public transport network. The study's methodology focused on comparing the travel choices of guests who were informed about the fare-free offer with those who were not. Researchers used statistical techniques like causal forest and propensity score matching to isolate the impact of the policy, ensuring that the comparison groups had similar characteristics. This helped to determine whether the free transport influenced guests to choose public transport over cars.

What were the key findings of the study in Appenzell Innerrhoden regarding fare-free public transport?

The study in Appenzell Innerrhoden revealed that informing guests about the fare-free public transport offer resulted in a significant shift in their travel mode choices. The probability of guests choosing public transport increased by 11.6 to 14.8 percentage points, depending on the statistical method employed. This highlights the effectiveness of fare-free policies in promoting sustainable travel practices, leading to a considerable shift away from private car usage.

How can policymakers and tourism operators use the findings from the Swiss experiment to promote sustainable tourism?

Policymakers and tourism operators can leverage the findings from the Swiss experiment by implementing fare-free public transport policies in other destinations. The study demonstrated that offering free public transit encourages tourists to choose sustainable modes of travel, reducing carbon emissions. By adopting similar initiatives, they can enhance the accessibility and appeal of tourism destinations. This approach not only benefits the environment by reducing emissions but also benefits local economies, creating a more sustainable and attractive tourism model.