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With the risks of the climate crisis becoming visible, sustainability has come to the fore in the agenda of many industries, including tourism. While the World Travel and Tourism Council says that the tourism industry is responsible for 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, on World Environment Day on June 5, to raise awareness of sustainable travel, Online PR Service B2Press compiled remarkable data on the environmental impact of travel and tourism from global reports.

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ISTANBUL (TR) - With the arrival of the summer months, travel plans began to be made. Recovery has been observed in the tourism industry, which stopped entirely in 2020 and was hampered by concerns about new variants in 2021 from the first months of 2022. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has predicted that the travel and tourism industries' contribution to the global gross domestic product will reach $8.6 trillion by the end of 2022. With the coming of June 5, World Environment Day, the environmental effects of the tourism industry, which draws attention with its contributions to the global economy and intercultural interaction, came to the fore again. Online PR Service B2Press reviewed reports on the environmental impact of the tourism industry and sustainable travel trends to make more informed travel decisions on June 5, World Environment Day.

The tourism industry recovers, and the environmental impact grows

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO) data analyzed by B2Press, which distributes press releases, the number of global passengers using the airline increased by 130% as of the first month of 2022 compared to the same month of the previous year. While 18 million visitors were registered globally in the first month of 2022 alone, this number was equal to the number of visitors measured in the whole of 2021. In addition, the Mastercard Economics Institute report noted that its flights exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic. WTTC data revealed that the tourism industry is responsible for 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with about 17% of global travel emissions from aviation. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released at the end of 2021 showed that carbon dioxide emissions on domestic flights reached pre-pandemic levels. Another study conducted by the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom suggested that cruise ships have a carbon footprint greater than 12,000 passenger cars. A night's stay on these ships would consume 12 times more energy than staying in a hotel. The United Nations Environment Program estimated that solid waste generation from the tourism industry could reach 12 million tons annually by 2050.

Consumers prefer sustainable travel alternatives

These large-scale effects have mobilized global institutions. WTTC has created an action plan to zero carbon emissions in the global travel and tourism industry by 2050 with its net-zero roadmap published in November 2021, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has committed to achieving the net-zero target by 2050. This change in the industry and the effects of the pandemic led consumers to sustainable travel alternatives. McKinsey's research, reviewed by press release service B2Press, showed that one in two travelers surveyed in 13 countries is "really concerned" about climate change. It was also found that 40% of travelers were willing to pay more for carbon-neutral airline tickets. In the 2022 Sustainable Travel Report prepared by Booking, one in two stated that developments related to climate change affect them to make more sustainable travel choices.

The responsibility falls on both companies and consumers

Online PR Service B2Press, as a result of the research and articles it has examined, has determined that both companies and individuals have responsibility for the spread of sustainable travel. In this context, what companies operating in the travel or tourism sector can do is to have an end-to-end designed net-zero strategy in line with the targets set under the leadership of global institutions, to use sustainable aviation fuels called SAF in the aviation sector, to review their procurement and supply chains, and to use energy in their facilities. Items such as making improvements based on efficiency came to the fore. Among the responsibilities of consumers are reducing airline travel and plastic waste whenever possible, adopting practices such as planting trees to zero the effects by calculating the average carbon footprint, supporting local economies, and preferring products produced in season during the holidays were listed.