European Travel Research Articles

АНАЛІЗ РИНКУ СТРАХОВИХ ПОСЛУГ УКРАЇНИ

UDC 368 ; JEL Classification: G 220 Purpose . The determination of the basic characteristics of the market of classical types of insurance in the modern conditions of Ukraine. Methodology of research. During the study, methods of analysis and synthesis, method of logical analysis were used. Information resources of the research are electronic information resources and periodical material. Findings. The insurance market in Ukraine is characterized by a high level of competition, but despite the existing companies and existing insurance companies, the task of expanding the scope of activities is to open up new markets as well as new types of insurance. The main regularities of the functioning of Ukrainian insurance market can be seen after a thorough analysis of industry indicators by the main most common types of insurance. The insurance market for civil liability of land vehicle owners is characterized by a positive dynamics of the volume of collected insurance premiums, but there group of companies that are holders of the prevailing segment of this market and during the investigated period of 2015-2018, these companies were strengthening their position in the market. Such companies are Oranta, Providna, TAS AG, UPSK. CASCO market is even more kept by certain leading companies. According to the survey period, there are three insurance companies that actually hold this market - AXA insurance, Unika, Ukrainian insurance group, and in recent years strengthened its position in the CASCO insurance the company Arsenal insurance. The property insurance market is more free. However, there are companies that were holding a dominant position throughout the 2015-2018 period - the insurance Arsenal, AXA insurance, PZU Ukraine. These companies have achieved very strong growth over the past two years - Unica and Alliance, as well as companies that have actually left this Insurance market segment - ASKA. The market for voluntary health insurance also shows a clear distribution of market partsbetween several key players - such as Providna, Unika, Neftegazstrakh, AXA insurance. It should be noted that this segment of the market is the most stable in structure over the entire period under study. The insurance market for tourists is characterized by a steady distribution of the market between several key players, namely PZU Ukraine, European Travel Insurance, VUSO, but the growth of the parts of Ukrfingosstrakh and TAS IG can be seen. The situation on the agro-insurance market is very unstable - some companies have actually left the market (ASKA, Ingo Ukraine, Zdorovo), but the unchanged leaders are Universal and PZU Ukraine. The main feature of the insurance market in Ukraine is a clear specialization of companies in certain types of classical insurance. This leads to significant difficulties when entering new companies' markets or when attempting to extend activities to other classic types of insurance. That is, the development of new types of voluntary insurance is the main instrument for achieving the stated goals today. Originality. The prospects of the company's entering into the markets of the main classic types of insurance are determined. Practical value. The proposed conclusions can be used by researchers and managers of insurance companies for determining the prospects of entering new markets for classic types of insurance.

Travel, Coal, and Empire: Delineations of Formosa in Nineteenth-Century English Travelers' Coal Texts

Prior to the mid-nineteenth century, Formosa (now Taiwan), was little known to European and American travelers. There was a great abundance of coal, both north and south of the island; as a fuel that could be excavated relatively easily and of value, coal impelled the entry into Formosa of Western explorers, navy investigators, merchants, and naturalist scientists beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. These travelers went on to document the island’s virtually unknown landscapes and natural resources, including its coal. This paper focuses on the “coal texts” of six nineteenth-century English travelers who visited Formosa between 1840 and 1895 — Lieut. M. Gordon (1818-1848), Robert Swinhoe (1836-1877), Cuthbert Collingwood (1826-1908), Cyprian Arthur Bridge (1839-1924), Archibald Ross Colquhoun (1848-1914), and James H. Stewart-Lockhart (1858-1937). It explores the historical and cultural underpinnings of coal in the island’s eco-geopolitical history and is interested to examine the ways these travel writings represented Formosa’s coal mines. It addresses the following questions: How might these coal narratives reveal an environmental consciousness embedded in the history of imperial excavation? What might be the links between nineteenth-century imperial motivations and representations of Formosan coal?

Tracing the Local: The Translator-Travellee in French Accounts of India

This paper examines aspects of multilingual India as described in a few eighteenth-century French travel accounts of the subcontinent to underscore the interactional history of representation that the conventions of European travel writing have tended to elide, particularly in the context of the subcontinent. It draws on the notions of fractal and vertical in travel to examine vernacular-Sanskrit relations encountered by the travellers, and to render visible the role of the “translator-travellee” in embedding vernacular knowledge in international discursive networks. Rather than merely questioning the travellers’ often skewed and necessarily partial readings of India’s linguistic plurality, I approach these travel accounts as crucial for understanding the specificity of the region’s multilingualism, one that was largely incommensurable with the typology of language that the accounts seek to establish.

L’ambiguità del teonimo poliano Natigay-Načigay

This contribution offers an in-depth discussion of the Polian theonym Natigay-Načigay, highlighting its relation with theonyms and shamanistic terms occurring in the European travel literature and/or in Turkic and Mongolic sources.

Travel writing, reception theory and the history of reading: reconsidering the late Middle Ages

ABSTRACTThis article seeks to explore the value of a reader-oriented approach to late medieval European travel writing. It offers a brief overview of the development of reception theory and the “history of reading” before discussing issues related to the definition of the genre in this period. Examining how medieval readers approached the celebrated accounts of Marco Polo and John Mandeville, as well as a broader range of literature pertaining to travel, it argues that reconstructing the contemporary reception of such works can help us to better understand their position in late medieval culture. Particular attention is paid to the permeability of boundaries between fact and fiction, with a case study exploring two literary imitations of travel accounts produced in early fifteenth-century Florence. The article concludes with some considerations regarding the significance of the reader for our broader understanding of travel writing’s historical development.

Trans-‘imperial eyes’ in the Atlantic on the British imperial voyage to Australia, 1787–1791

Early British imperial voyages to Australia did not occur entirely at sea or solely within the sphere of British influence. In the late eighteenth century Britain controlled few ports. Imperial expansion under sail therefore required supplies, rest and repair at the ports of other empires. Indeed, in 1787 the First Fleet laid over in the Atlantic harbours of Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands, Rio de Janeiro in Portuguese Brazil and the Dutch East India Company’s Cape colony in southern Africa. These layovers varied in length from a week to a month. During this time British officials went ashore on imperial business. What is less understood is that other voyagers also visited port townships and hinterlands to explore, socialise and make personal purchases, presenting opportunities to view settler colonialism under other empires. In her study of European travel writing, Mary Louise Pratt termed ‘imperial eyes’ the ways of seeing that produced othering discourses of non-Europeans. Through a new reading of 1787 travel accounts, and others from 1789 and 1791, this article argues that British imperial voyaging to Australia entailed seeing with trans-‘imperial eyes’ in the colonies of other empires. These encounters led to the formation of impressions about indigenous peoples under other colonial rule.

Profiling UAE Youth Travel: Application of Push and Pull Theory

Youth in the GCC countries have higher economic resources compared to their peers in other areas of the world. Existing studies have mainly focused on American, European and Asian youth travelers with different cultural background, preferences and behavior from Arab youth. In response to the emerging youth travel market in the rich GCC countries, this study sets out to fill the gap in research in this regard. The purpose of the study is to highlight the main factors that motivate Emirati youth to travel, the main information resources they use and their tendency to purchase packaged tours. The study applied the push and pull motivational theory to define the most significant UAE youth travel motives. A quantitative web-based survey was used to collect the required data. The findings of this study have proved that pull factors are more significant determinants for UAE youth travel than the push factors. Besides, it was revealed that the majority of UAE youth depend on the internet for travel information. Finally, the study finding shows that UAE youth prefer independent travel over packaged trips. The findings of the study have many implications for tourism suppliers and marketers who wish to target this lucrative market.

Partners and Power: Understanding Ancestral Wichita and French Trade at the Deer Creek Site

Deer Creek is an eighteenth-century fortified site in Oklahoma that is featured in dozens of publications yet was not excavated until 2016. While archaeologists today acknowledge the site as a Wichita village, others have insisted Deer Creek is a European fort. Historical narratives bereft of archaeological investigation can prove problematic and have minimized the role of Wichita communities in economic relationships. The Deer Creek site was just one of many villages in the region where Indigenous peoples held significant power as they negotiated with European travelers and archaeological work can reveal the perspective of those who there.

Imaginary perceptions and representations of the ancient Greek monument in the engravings of European travel literature (17th - 19th centuries)

Με πυρήνα ορισμένα χαρακτικά από τις συλλογές του Μουσείου Μπενάκη και τη σημαντική Συλλογή Ευστάθιου Ι. Φινόπουλου το άρθρο αυτό διερευνά πώς μορφοποιείται η φαντασιακή πρόσληψη του αρχαίου ελληνικού μνημείου σε εικόνες των ευρωπαϊκών περιηγητικών εκδόσεων από τον 17ο έως τον 19ο αιώνα. Η μυθολογία του ερειπίου σφραγίζει τη σχέση της Ευρώπης με την ελληνορωμαϊκή αρχαιότητα μέσα στους αιώνες, με πολλαπλές εκφάνσεις στην τέχνη και γενικότερα στον πολιτισμό. Η Ρώμη με το πλήθος των μνημείων της κατέχει πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο, μάλιστα αποτελεί πολυδύναμο σημείο αναφοράς και για τις απεικονίσεις "ελληνικών" μνημείων τον 17ο-18ο αιώνα με προεκτάσεις και στον 19ο. Ορισμένα χαρακτικά με αυθαίρετες συσσωρεύσεις ερειπίων —σε ολλανδικές κυρίως εκδόσεις του 17ου αιώνα- έχουν ασφαλώς τις καταβολές τους σε έργα με ρωμαϊκές αρχαιότητες φιλοτεχνημένα από καλλιτέχνες των Κάτω Χωρών, που εργάστηκαν στη Ρώμη κατά τον 16ο αιώνα. Σε όλες αυτές τις εικόνες ένας ολόκληρος κόσμος που έχει καταρρεύσει υποβάλλει την ιδέα του χρόνου που καταστρέφει τα πάντα, ενώ οι ανθρώπινες φιγούρες υποδηλώνουν το ουμανιστικό ενδιαφέρον για τη μελέτη των αρχαίων λειψάνων προκειμένου να αποκωδικοποιηθούν τα μυστικά τους. Κατά τον 18ο αιώνα η Ρώμη με τη μεγαλειώδη αρχιτεκτονική σκηνογραφία της -αρχαία και νεότερη- ασκεί στη λόγια Ευρώπη μαγνητική έλξη, που εκδηλώνεται και με το πλήθος των απεικονίσεων της "αιώνιας πόλης", οι οποίες είναι ιδιαίτερα δημοφιλείς. Η ιταλική ζωγραφική και χαρακτική των ερειπίων —με κορυφαίους εκπροσώπους της τον G. Ρ. Panini και τον G. Β. Piranesi αντίστοιχα, οι ρωμαϊκές vedute ideate (φανταστικές τοπογραφικές απόψεις) και τα αρχιτεκτονικά "καπρίτσια" θα αποτελέσουν το κύριο πρότυπο –με συνεπίκουρο τη γαλλική ζωγραφική αυτής της θεματικής- για τα χαρακτικά με φανταστικές ή και πραγματικές ελληνικές αρχαιότητες, όπως φαίνεται από την αυθαίρετη γειτνίαση ετερόκλητων μνημείων, αγαλμάτων και αγγείων σε ένα πλασματικό χώρο, τη σκηνοθεσία της σύνθεσης, το Staffage, την εκφραστική χρήση της φωτοσκίασης, τη διαλεκτική σχέση της φυσης και των έργων του ανθρώπου. Οι αρχαιότητες ως "θέαμα", μέσα στο κομψό αισθητικό κλίμα του 18ου αιώνα, με πινελιές ροκοκό, όπου εγγράφεται και το αίτημα για τη γραφικότητα (το pittoresque). Παράλληλα, αυτές οι εικόνες εκφέρουν λόγο και για το sublime: για τον "υψηλό" χαρακτήρα και το ευγενικό μεγαλείο των ελληνορωμαϊκών έργων, μέσα στο πνεύμα του Νεοκλασικισμού, όπου αναπτύχτηκε και η λατρεία (culte) του αρχαίου έργου-αντικειμένου τέχνης σε συνάρτηση με την αρχαιογνωσία της εποχής και τις ανασκαφές Το εντυπωσιακό μέγεθος, άρρηκτα συνδεδεμένο με το μνημειακό μεγαλείο, συνιστά τότε έναν όρο για τη δοξαστική, συγκινησιακά φορτισμένη αντιμετώπιση των αρχαιοτήτων καθώς και για την οπτική πρόσληψη τους, με άμεση επίπτωση στη διαχείριση τους ως εικόνων. Από την άποψη αυτή τα χαρακτικά του Γάλλου αρχιτέκτονα Le Roy είναι παραδειγματικά για τον ελληνικό χώρο. Στο α μισό του 19ου αιώνα, όταν η νεότερη, υπαρκτή Ελλάδα έρχεται στο προσκήνιο, τα ιδεολογικά και αισθητικά φίλτρα του Ρομαντισμού, του Οριενταλισμού και του Φιλελληνισμού θα επηρεάσουν τις αναπαραστάσεις του αρχαίου ελληνικού μνημείου στα χαρακτικά των περιηγητών, και όχι μόνο. Το ρεπερτόριο των αρχαιοτήτων "εξελληνίζεται", με αναγνωρίσιμα πλέον, πραγματικά μνημεία και έργα τέχνης, και μάλιστα αυτά στα οποία πέφτουν οι προβολείς (Ακρόπολη, Ελγίνεια, Καρυάτιδες). Η νέα θεματική προϋποθέτει και απαιτεί άλλα πρότυπα (βλ. π.χ. την έγκυρη έκδοση των Stuart και Revett). Επιβιώνουν όμως ακόμη μορφοπλαστικοί τρόποι και εικονογραφικά μοτίβα της παλαιότερης παράδοσης, της ζωγραφικής και χαρακτικής των ερειπίων του 18ου αιώνα. Το διπολικό σχήμα πραγματικότητας και φαντασίας παρουσιάζει ξεχωριστό ενδιαφέρον στις εικαστικές εκδοχές του. Η προσέγγιση αυτού του πολυδιάστατου θέματος εστιάστηκε σε κάποιες χαρακτηριστικές πτυχές του, με άξονα τις δύο συντεταγμένες του: την εικονογραφία και τη μορφολογία των έργων, που και οι δύο, ισότιμα σχεδόν, αναδεικνύουν την πολυσημία του, ενώ παράλληλα καταδεικνύουν τον ευρύ ορίζοντα έρευνας που υπαγορεύει η μελέτη αυτού του υλικού. Έμφαση δόθηκε στον 18ο αιώνα (πιο συγκεκριμένα στο β' μισό του), εποχή ιδιαίτερα σημαντική για τη σχέση της Ευρώπης με την κλασική αρχαιότητα, μέσα από τη συνεργία ποικίλων παραγόντων. Ανάμεσα τους, η άμεση επαφή πολυάριθμων λογίων, καλλιτεχνών, πλούσιων και φιλότεχνων Ευρωπαίων με τα απτά ίχνη του αρχαίου κόσμου στη Ρώμη κυρίως, υπήρξε καταλυτική. Μπορεί μάλιστα να υποστηριχτεί ότι αυτή λειτούργησε και ως μοχλός για τη δόμηση μιας φαντασιακής πρόσληψης της ελληνικής αρχαιότητας.

Orchids in the era of Grigory von Langsdorff: two golden decades in the history of the botanical exploration of Brazil (1813–1830)

The figure of Grigory Ivanovich von Langsdorff was largely neglected by the scientific literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. German-born von Langsdorff was consul of the Russian Empire in Rio de Janeiro. His activities in Brazil from 1813 to 1830 are here described, a time during which his house in Rio and his famous fazenda Mandiocca became the center of scientific activity and the point of attraction for European travellers and naturalists who flocked to Brazil after its frontiers were opened to foreigners in 1808 by King Joao VI of Portugal. Wilhelm Freyreiss, Friedrich Sellow, Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied, Augustin de Saint-Hilaire, Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, Johann Baptist von Spix, Giuseppe Raddi, Johann Baptist Emanuel Pohl, and Ludwig Riedel are among those who explored Brazil impulsed by von Langsdorff and often under his patronage. Their journeys in Brazil culminated in von Langsdorff’s ill-fated expedition to the interior of Brazil between 1822 and 1829, while the epilogue is marked by Langsdorff’s return to Germany, in a state of insanity and no longer able to publish the results of his life-long scientific efforts.

Mussels, potatoes, ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ and now biologics

Arriving for a visit to BioVectra, a Canadian contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), one is reminded that pharmaceutical services companies are an idiosyncratic lot. Most are small- to medium-sized firms whose offerings vary as widely as do their cultures. CDMOs can be found in out-of-the-way places such as foothill villages in the Swiss Alps and the cornfields of Iowa. They pop up on the outskirts of major European travel destinations like Lisbon and Paris. They cluster around Milan and can be found in the hinterlands of China. The idea of a CDMO on Prince Edward Island—the tiny Maritime Province best known as the setting for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel “Anne of Green Gables”—may seem one step beyond the pale. BioVectra, however, has grown in the 18 years since it began producing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to become a world-class player. Most recently, BioVectra ventured across the Northumberland Strait to

Travel-associated hepatitis A in Europe, 2009 to 2015

BackgroundTravel to countries with high or intermediate hepatitis A virus (HAV) endemicity is a risk factor for infection in residents of countries with low HAV endemicity. Aim: The objective of this study was to estimate the risk for hepatitis A among European travellers using surveillance and travel denominator data. Methods: We retrieved hepatitis A surveillance data from 13 European Union (EU)/ European Economic Area (EEA) countries with comprehensive surveillance systems and travel denominator data from the Statistical Office of the European Union. A travel-associated case of hepatitis A was defined as any case reported as imported. Results: From 2009 to 2015, the 13 countries reported 18,839 confirmed cases of hepatitis A, of which 5,233 (27.8%) were travel-associated. Of these, 39.8% were among children younger than 15 years. The overall risk associated with travel abroad decreased over the period at an annual rate of 3.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7–2.7) from 0.70 cases per million nights in 2009 to 0.51 in 2015. The highest risk was observed in travellers to Africa (2.11 cases per million nights). Cases more likely to be reported as travel-associated were male and of younger age (< 25 years). Conclusion: Travel is still a major risk factor for HAV infection in the EU/EEA, although the risk of infection may have slightly decreased in recent years. Children younger than 15 years accounted for a large proportion of cases and should be prioritised for vaccination.

من وسائل النقل فی القرن الثامن عشر فی کتب الرحالة الاوروبیین

يرتکز هذا البحث أساسا على الرحلة الإستکشافية التى قام بها الإيطالي دومينيکو سيستيني من القسطنطينية الى البصرة عام 1781، دون خلالها تفاصيل مسيرته في کتاب يعتبر من أهم ما کتب فى تلک الفترة عن العراق. ولن أکتفى فى بحثى هذا على ما سرده سيستيني ، بل سأقارنه بما کتبه العديد من الرحالة الأوروبيين (من مختلف البلدان) الذين زاروا العراق فى نفس الفترة تقريب وترکوا ثروة طائلة من المعلومات ، لابد أن نتعمق فى دراستها کى لا نفقد جزءا هاما من تراثنا ومن تاريخ بلادنا . أرکز في هذا البحث على محورين فقط من کتاب الأب سيستيني المتشعب المواضيع :.١-المدن التي مر بها سيستيني، وإضافة خارطةخاصة لمساره (رقم 1) توضح المدن بتسميتها القديمة کما ذکرها الکاتب في عام 1781، ومقارنتها بالتسميات حديثا .2. لتوضيح هذا المسار استعنت بما وضعه سيستيني من محطات لرحلته ، ابتداء من محطة اسکودار في اسطنبول حتى وصوله الى البصرة ، ، وإذا کان الطريق نهري أم بري ، وأسماء المحطات.2. جل ما أستخدم في هذه الرحلة من وسائل نقل بمفرداتها القديمة التي نجدها تستقر في کتب الجغرافية والتاريخ والآثارفقط والتي تعبر عن أصالة ما امتلکه البلد، وتؤيد هذه المفردات الوصف الدقيق باللغة الإيطالية الذي سهل مهمة البحث عن المفردة ذاتها. Many of the European travelers on 18th century visit to Iraq wrote important documents on their travels, a valuable wealth of information and derelict vocabulary. This research focuses on the vocabulary of the ancient means of transport and the names of ancient cities, which are an important part of the patrimony, civilization and history of our country. This research is a reminder of this generation documented in pictures.

Tristes harems. L’exemple de la comtesse de Gasparin (À Constantinople, 1867) au regard de la tradition des voyageuses en Orient

The article examines the Countess of Gasparin’s book À Constantinople, published in 1867, in the light of a particular context and a tradition of women travellers in the East. Beginning with a description of the condition of women travellers in the East during 19th century, including several biographical elements surrounding Valérie Gasparin, the study concentrates on one of the favourite places of European travellers in the East: the hareem. The study highlights the work of the Countess on demystifying the hareem, her gendered anti-slavery discourse, as well as her determination to give Eastern women a voice.

PERCEPTION OF EUROPEAN TOURIST TOWARD BALI AS TOURISM DESTINATION

This research aimed to determine main attractor factors of Bali tourism and pre­do­minantly factors that determine the European travel to Bali. It was designed by using research sur­vey that in­volving 167 European tourist selected purposively. Con­fir­ma­to­ry factor analysis techniques were used to analyse a wide range of variables Balinese charm. The re­sults showed the main attractor factors of Bali tourism are (1) Immigration, security of destin­ation, and travel agencies, (2) The prices, the accommodation, food and transportation, (3) The history, cul­ture, and na­tural beauty. While the most dominant factor in de­ter­mi­ning European tourists travelled to Bali were immi­gra­tion, security of destination, and travel agencies. The findings also indicated that the images of Bali tourism are the destination's history, culture, and na­ture. These three variables were in accordance with ex­pectations of Euro­pean tourists who have been known as travellers who like the interested on history, culture, and the beauty of the scenery.

A Missing Link in European Travel Literature: Burchard of Mount Sion's Description of Egypt

This article offers a first study and edition of Burchard of Mount Sion’s ‘Egyptian section’. This text—hitherto almost completely neglected by scholars—provides a detailed account of Egypt, and is preserved in its entirety in two manuscripts, following Burchard’s Descriptio Terrae Sanctae. The present work provides an analysis of the contents and characteristics of this text, of the cultural context in which it was composed, and of its reception in medieval and early modern times. Appendix 1 includes a provisional edition of Burchard’s account of Egypt. Appendix 2 offers an edition of the final part of a shortened version of this text which is significant from the point of view of the history of its reception.

Increased risk of yellow fever infections among unvaccinated European travellers due to ongoing outbreak in Brazil, July 2017 to March 2018.

Since December 2016, Brazil has faced a large outbreak of yellow fever with ca 1,500 confirmed human cases. In the first 2 months of 2018, Brazil reported almost as many cases as in 2017 as a whole. In these 2 months, five imported cases were reported among unvaccinated European travellers. Three had travelled to Ilha Grande, a popular destination among European tourists. Physicians and European travellers visiting Brazil should follow yellow fever vaccination recommendations.

Hegel, “China” And Imihigo

Hegel’s account of China, based mainly on the reports of European travelers and missionaries, is hardly trustworthy. Attention to it, however, can illuminate Hegel’s own critical practices. Displacing his claims about China onto the imaginary nation of “Baffinland,” I argue that Hegel’s critical standards derive from the basic nature of his thought, which requires that a good society be one that not merely tolerates but encourages the full development of human diversity. As an example of how this might work, I turn to the Rwandan practice of imihigo, in which an individual publicly spells out the contributions that only he or she can make to the community.

European cyclists' travel behavior: Differences and similarities between seven European (PASTA) cities

Background The number of trips of the average urban inhabitant per year has grown steadily in recent years – but we are actually moving (our bodies) less. Every day, millions of trips are made by car (where 50% of these are less than 5 km) or other motorised private vehicles as well as with public transport, while only a small percentage of trips are made by active modes, such as cycling and walking. This lack of physical activity causes major health problems for individuals and great economic costs for society as a whole. To reverse these negative impacts the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week (e.g. 30 minutes 5 times per week). Replacing short motorized trips can feasibly increase physical activity in everyday life. Methods PASTA “Physical Activity trough sustainable transport approaches” collected data in a longitudinal web-based survey with a cohort design to study the effects of active mobility on overall physical activity and health. The target population for the survey was the entire adult population in 7 European Cities. In total, more than 12.000 people participated in the survey with half of them filling in valid travel diaries on actual trips on a regular basis. Results Differences in sociodemographics and travel behaviour of cyclists in the seven cities will be shown in the paper. Preliminary results reveal that more than 2.000 participants from the total sample can be identified as regular cyclists (reported in their trip diaries) with an average age of 40 years. Most of them are highly educated and full time employed. In comparison to non-regular cyclists, the share of female is lower; however the share of people who have a driving licence and who have at least sometimes access to a car is higher within the group of cyclists. About 85% of regular cyclists reach at least 30 cycling-minutes per reported day. This indicates that a high share of regular cyclists can reach the WHO´s recommended level only by routine cycling trips. Further the threshold of reaching the minimum recommendation by cycling will be analysed between the cities. Conclusions In this study, we compare cyclists and their travel behaviour in seven European cities. Our first results indicate, that cycling as a mean of transport can help reach the WHO’s physical activity recommendations and including physical activity into daily life without much of extra effort.

From Santorini to Trieste and Suez: scientific knowledge, discovery and use of Theran earth in the Mediterranean (from the end of the eighteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century)

This article examines the origins of the European scientific, technical and economic interest in the volcanic tephra of the islands of Santorini and Therasia as a building material in harbour and coastal projects. The research (a) brings new data on the discovery and early use of Theran earth at a point earlier in the nineteenth century than was previously known; and (b) explains the transition from the general references to Santorini’s volcanic ash by European travellers (in the eighteenth century) to the most detailed scientific and technical descriptions of the chemical properties of the ash made by the German and Austrian geologists and engineers (by the mid-nineteenth century). The role of experts was crucial in the discovery and exploitation of Theran earth. While the scientific research of European and Greek specialists was reliant on the state powers of the day, it also entertained close bonds with the entrepreneurial and technical networks that commanded the exploitation of the mineral resources of the Mediterranean. New forms of expertise and communication among experts, competition and scientific exchanges set in motion innovative channels for the movement of material resources around the Mediterranean, triggered by burgeoning industrialization in Europe and beyond. Many actors at a local, national and transnational level (such as geologists, engineers, state employees and merchants) were involved in multiple technical and entrepreneurial networks for the trading and appropriation of Theran earth for use in the harbour and construction projects under way all around the Mediterranean.