Transporting 2014 FIFA World Cup to sustainability: exploring residents’ and tourists’ attitudes and behaviours

Abstract

The forthcoming 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cup (FWC) in Brazil provides an opportunity to invest in an efficient public transport (PT) system, whose benefits will extend beyond the event. Moreover, the FWC is a potential powerful force to promote a change in travel behaviour of both residents and tourists. However, the challenges are considerable. Research on mobility and travel behaviour at mega-events is still in its infancy and there is a general lack of baseline data and quantitative studies. Here, we address this shortfall by surveying attitudes and travel behaviour of tourists and residents in the Brazilian city of Manaus, a host city for the 2014 FWC. Our results suggest that in addition to the availability of information about PT, perceptions of ‘travel time’ and ‘convenience’ influence attitudes and may be important targets for promoting behavioural change. These results highlight the importance of providing good access to clearly targeted information on sustainable travel options. More generally, we demonstrate that successful development of sustainable mobility for mega-events must carefully align with local attitudes and behaviours.