International tourism sector sees fall in greenhouse gas emissions

(MENAFN) Global greenhouse gas emissions from the travel and tourism sector have decreased to 3.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, constituting 6.7 percent of total emissions. This marks a decline from 7.8 percent in 2019, during tourism's peak, reflecting ongoing sustainability efforts, according to Julia Simpson, President of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Speaking at the 24th Global Summit in Perth, Australia, Simpson discussed the findings from the WTTC’s latest Environmental & Social Research report, developed in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism.

Simpson highlighted that the industry’s emissions have dropped by 12 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a notable reduction in greenhouse gas intensity—emissions per unit of GDP—declining by 8.4 percent since 2019. "This demonstrates our sector’s ability to decouple growth from the increase in greenhouse gas emissions," she stated, emphasizing the need for continued progress toward absolute emissions reductions by decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.

Despite the positive trend, Simpson pointed out that oil remains the dominant energy source for the tourism sector, accounting for 54 percent of its energy consumption. However, there has been progress: coal usage fell from 18 percent in 2019 to 15 percent in 2023, while the share of low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear and renewables, rose from 5.1 percent to 5.9 percent. "These figures reflect ongoing efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels," she noted.

Simpson called for greater governmental support to integrate renewable energy into national grids and to develop sustainable fuels for transport and aviation. She stressed the importance of incentivizing sustainable aviation fuel production as a critical step in the sector’s green transition. Furthermore, she underscored the economic impact of travel and tourism, which contributed USD9.9 trillion to global GDP in 2023, representing a 4 percent decrease from pre-pandemic levels.

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