Bed & Bike

Free use of bicycles for hotel guests in Zeeland

The tourist accommodation Hotel Bommelje (part of TeKust.com) is located in the center of the famous Zeeland seaside resort of Domburg. The pressure of the many parking cars in the center of Domburg is relatively high, especially in the tourist season. The residents therefore experience a relatively high inconvenience from the traffic looking for a parking space. In addition, German tourists mainly use the car as a means of transport to travel in the region.

In co-creation with German guests (the users of the concept, the new service to be developed, returning visitors) of the accommodation Hotel Bommelje and in explicit consultation and coordination with relevant stakeholders (municipality, local entrepreneurs, city council), a sustainable and innovative mobility concept was therefore developed in 2019. The goal is to 1) reduce parking pressure, 2) limit search traffic, 3) encourage German guests to (more often) use an alternative means of transport, other than the car, to travel, in accordance with their wishes and needs when staying in the region.

The concept gives guests, after a reservation of an accommodation unit, in principle 1) the possibility to drive the car to the hotel and drop the luggage, whereby the car may be parked briefly at the designated ‘drop-off’ and pick-up’ place, 2) park the car outside the city center, in a safe and guarded place 3) change to a bicycle that allows the guests to return to the hotel, where there is a possibility to park the bicycle on site, and during their stay in Domburg, move more sustainably in the area to visit one of the many tourist attractions. The bicycle is easily available directly at the hotel, while a psychological barrier has been created for the use of the car.

Status: in consultation with the entrepreneur and the municipality of Veere, the decision has been made to implement the concept in May 2021, this due to current complications surrounding Covid-19.