Sustainable tourism, also known as ecotourism, or green tourism, is a form of tourism that attempts to take responsibility for its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, by looking at the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities. Issues that have triggered discussions over the necessity of more sustainable and ethical tourism practices include the global rise in greenhouse gas emissions, overcrowding, and a loss of socio-cultural authenticity in host communities. When surveyed in 2022, over 80 percent of
of 172.4 billion U.S. dollars.
What are the effects of global tourism on the climate?
It is hard to measure the cumulative effect that the tourism industry has on the climate crisis as, unlike with other industries, there is no one clear product. It incorporates many industries, including lodging, transport, attractions, travel companies, and more. However, a 2019 report from the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stated that the
global carbon dioxide emissions from tourism-related transport alone was a significant contributor to climate change, with a five percent share of
carbon dioxide emissions from tourism-related transport worldwide being attributed to this. When looking more generally at the
regional carbon dioxide emissions from energy worldwide, the Asia-Pacific and North America regions accounted for over 23 billion metric tons of CO₂ emissions in 2022.
Traveler awareness of social and environmental responsibility
While these issues are hardly new, there has been a growing awareness for social and environmental responsibility among travelers in recent years. As of July 2023, the share of
global travelers looking for accommodation with impressive sustainability innovation was over 50 percent. While the
reasons that travelers stayed in sustainable accommodations varied, the majority of travelers were interested in either reducing their environmental impact or looking to have a more locally relevant experience. Nowadays, sustainable accommodations appeal not only to leisure travelers but business travelers as well - in 2022, most business travel buyers considered the
importance of hotel sustainability to be either somewhat or very important.
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