• Air travel contributes the most to tourism emissions, followed by private vehicles and utilities, respectively.
• The increase in population and the use of petrol and diesel cars, especially in countries like India, where clean technologies like electric vehicles (EVs) have yet to become widespread and viable, is also a factor.

With an increase in tourism activities across the globe, greenhouse gases (GHG) are also on the rise, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Nature. The study, titled Drivers of Global Tourism Carbon Emissions, highlights this trend.

The tourism industry has witnessed massive growth and demand, which is also causing a problem if it is not sustainable: global tourism is responsible for about 9% of total GHG emissions, with China being the largest emitter, followed by the US and India, respectively.

Tourism involves travelling by plane, using private cars, and consuming energy in hotels and other places. If responsible tourism is far from reality, all these activities have a huge impact on the environment.

Between 2009 and 2019, Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the tourism sector increased at an annual rate of 3.5%, much faster than the overall global economy's emission rate. Simply put, tourism is becoming carbon-intensive over time. This period saw emissions growing by 1.5 gigatonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to the annual emissions from all of Latin America and the Caribbean combined.

The study notes that the increase in emissions is primarily due to the spike in domestic tourism. Particularly in China, the US, and India, more people are travelling within their own countries. They largely prefer using their private cars and other modes of transportation like trains, leading to higher emissions. Outbound travel in China has also risen, contributing to the larger carbon footprint of tourism.

In 2019, India's carbon footprint (5.7% of global emissions) was smaller compared to those of China (15%) and the US (19%). Together, they were responsible for around 60% of the increase in global tourism emissions.

To learn more about the study, click here.

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Source: The New Indian Express