What If We Park Our Cars to Protect Our Archaeological Sites?

[Un article de The Conversation écrit par Cédrine Zumbo-Lebrument – Enseignante-chercheuse en marketing, Clermont School of Business – et Norbert Lebrument – Professeur des universités, Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA)]

A heritage on the thread

According to the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), more than 4,000 sites of major interest dot hexagon. However, a recent study indicates that almost a quarter of them are already suffering from degradations related to motorized attendance: widening of roads, parking lots encroaching on sensitive areas, or even air pollution that erodes old structures. In some cases, we even observe an acceleration of soil erosion where vehicles are massaged.

At this rate, the risk is no longer only theoretical: several site managers alert on possible closures to the public if the crowds remain uncontrolled. We know, for example, that the Lascaux cave was closed for years to protect it from surfrequents and associated pollution. Should we get there for other national treasures?

Visitor's paradox

There is a striking contradiction: many tourists and history lovers say they worship these vestiges, but contribute despite themselves to their deterioration by favoring the individual car. To use the expression of a local guide: “We come to admire a millennial heritage … by polluting the air we have left. This is a paradox that we have sought to better understand in recent research based on planned behavior theory.

As part of this research, we conducted a survey of 760 visitors. The results reveal that two key factors encourage the abandonment of the “any car” by an individual:

• A favorable perception of soft mobility: when cycling, walking or collective shuttles are positively perceived, that is to say as more pleasant, safer and useful behaviors to preserve sites, visitors are more ready to take the plunge by integrating them into their trips on the sites;
• Concrete knowledge of environmental issues by the individual: understanding that a “clean” displacement reduces erosion and degradation of vestiges reinforces motivation.

On the other hand, our study reveals that our beliefs on what close or important people do with us in terms of soft mobility (the famous descriptive social standards) do not have the expected effect on our behavior: in other words, which we believe to be the practices of our loved ones in terms of using the car has no effect on our intention to use it to visit an archaeological site. In contrastthe real rocking is often done through a strong emotional bond with the place: when you are attached to a territory, its history, you are much more inclined to change your habits to visit an archaeological site.

Evidence in the field

Fortunately, some places move the lines. At the Gard bridge, there are pedestrian paths and cycle paths that reduce the automotive influx. The Loire Valley has been based for years on the “La Loire by bicycle” route, offering visitors a cultural and natural panorama without having to sneak between cars.

Another example: the Chauvet 2 cave, in Ardèche, offers prices reduced to those who opt for a sober carbon mode of transport. This simple measure has already prompted many tourists to choose alternative solutions. At a time when the WHO alerts air quality linked to traffic jams in the tourist area, it seems more than ever to systematize this kind of initiatives.

The question of money and ease

Some will say that changing displacement mode generates an additional cost or takes more time. However, according to the Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME), a bicycle or shuttle journey is often much cheaper than a car trip, especially if you include the cost of fuel, parking or even toll. In addition, the problem of “saving time” is sometimes illusory: spending an hour in traffic jams to access an archaeological site is not effective and culturally enriching …

In fact, the real challenge lies rather in the territorial planning: offer buses suitable for tourist times, ensure safety on cycle paths, clearly communicate on carpooling solutions. Local communities and tourism operators therefore have a key role to play in making these alternatives really accessible.

A topical angle

With the regular increase in fuel prices and summer heat peaks, the car becomes less attractive for many French people. Some archaeological sites are also undergoing a phenomenon of “surcourism” in summer, saturating their parking lots and deteriorating the living environment. However, soft mobility partly responds to this saturation problem: fewer vehicles, less tension on parking spaces and a better distributed flow of visitors.

Add to that the post-Cavid dynamics which saw a number of people rediscovering walking or cycling as a mode of transport of everyday life. Capitalizing on this craze seems logical to preserve, in the process, our historic monuments. In this sense, why not multiply the “days without a car” around sensitive archaeological sites? Why not offer coupled train + bike + visit tickets, as some music festivals already do?

A call to action

Whoever prepares an outing to an archaeological site can first wonder: do I really need my car? Carpooling, the rental of electric bikes or even a guided hike from the nearest station can change everything, while providing real pleasure through an authentic experience of discovering a place.

Site managers also have the possibility of going further by installing secure bicycle car parks, negotiating with the authorities to improve bus networks, offering entry discounts for “green” visitors, or even using social networks to promote these alternatives.

Finally, if you are a local elected official, an associative volunteer or simply a resident proud of his archaeological heritage, remember that each decision in matters of town planning or pricing policy influences mobility. Basically, leaving the car to the parking lot is not a temporary and ephemeral trend: it is a decisive choice to preserve our archaeological sites from erosion and the risk of closing and thus allow future generations to admire them without undergoing the consequences of a surfrequents which was poorly managed.