Global tourism sector sees decline in greenhouse gas emissions

Global greenhouse gas emissions from the travel and tourism sector dropped to 3.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, making up 6.7% of total emissions, according to the president of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), who cited an environmental report released Tuesday.

The reduction marks a decrease from 7.8% in 2019, when tourism was at its peak, a reflection of ongoing sustainability efforts, said WTTC President Julia Simpson. Speaking at the 24th Global Summit in Perth, Australia, Simpson shared findings from the WTTC's latest Environmental & Social Research report, created in partnership with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism.

Simpson noted that the industry's emissions have fallen by 12% compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a significant decrease in greenhouse gas intensity-emissions per unit of GDP-down by 8.4% since 2019.

"This demonstrates our sector's ability to decouple growth from the increase in greenhouse gas emissions," Simpson said.

Despite this positive trend, Simpson emphasized the importance of achieving absolute reductions in emissions by reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

"We want to be open, we want to be accountable, and we want to be honest," she said, underscoring the need for thorough data analysis to pinpoint further opportunities for accelerating the green transition.

The report revealed that oil remains the primary energy source for the tourism sector, accounting for 54% of its energy use. On a positive note, coal usage dropped from 18% in 2019 to 15% in 2023, while the share of low-carbon energy sources, such as nuclear and renewables, increased from 5.1% to 5.9%.

"These figures reflect ongoing efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels," Simpson noted.

Simpson urged governments to play a supportive role in integrating renewable energy into national grids and developing sustainable fuels for transport and aviation.

"We need the support of governments in integrating renewable energy into our grids and developing sustainable fuels for transport and aviation," she said.

Simpson also called on governments to incentivize sustainable aviation fuel production, emphasizing it as a crucial step in the sector's green transition.

She highlighted the economic impact of travel and tourism, which contributed $9.9 trillion to global GDP in 2023, 4% below pre-pandemic levels.

Simpson stressed the need for strategic use of tax revenues from tourism, which totaled $3.32 trillion in 2023, or 9.6% of global tax revenue.

"We really want to see governments use these funds to build roads, open schools, and make essential investments, but we also hope they will reinvest some of that money in decarbonizing infrastructure, expanding renewable energies, and supporting our businesses in their green transition," she said.