Published on : Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Researchers determined that tourism accounts for around eight per cent of global carbon emissions. This is around three times more than earlier estimates, with the carbon footprint growing four times more quickly than thought between 2009 and 2013.
The researchers, who describe tourism as “largely a high-income affair,” say they looked at emissions produced by the eating, shopping, and local transportation activities of tourists in 160 countries worldwide, as well as the air travel involved.
They also looked at domestic as well as international travel, and say tourists from the U.S. are responsible for the most emissions, followed by those from China, Germany, and India.
Lead researcher Dr. Arunima Malik from the University of Sydney tells that tourism is responsible for up to 80 per cent of emissions in places like the Maldives and the Seychelles.
“The small island states are in a difficult position because we like travelling to these locations and those small island states very much rely on tourist income but they are also at the same time vulnerable to the effects of rising seas and climate change,” said Malik.