If there is one good thing that came out from the lockdown periods, is that it helped reduced the carbon emissions. Tourism at a stop was largely responsible for this, since this sector represents 8% of the world’s emissions. But many companies inside the industry have decided to do something about it. Here are some of the carbon commitment issues being addressed in tourism.
Tourism and Carbon Emissions: An Industry that needs to be Proactive
We all play a part in carbon emissions, but some of us more than others. Whether you travel a lot for work or for leisure, you contribute to a larger part of the problem. However, there are solutions to this situation, that can be put in place so that tourism doesn’t become regarded as an evil thing to do, which it shouldn’t be. And many of those involved in the industry have understood the situation and have decided to do something about it.
It is the case for Original Travel, an online travel agency, which decided that they needed to become an active part of the solution, to the carbon issue in tourism. In fact, they were one of the very first to take an interest in the issue, and to participate in activities to help reduce the impact of carbon emission created by travellers. For more then ten years, the company has taken part in large reforestation projects worldwide, since it has proven to help reduce the carbon footprint as tree planting helps to absorb CO2 emissions.
What can be done to reduce Tourism’s Carbon Emissions
AWARENESS
Since the vast majority of the footprint comes from travellers living in wealthy countries, there needs to be more education placed on the subject, inside the education system. If someone travelling doesn’t know the impact, his movements are having on the environment, he can never act upon it, in a positive way. Awareness becomes a key issue for travellers, and it has to also come directly from all the participants in the process. That means airlines, hotels, resorts and all the companies feeding from tourism, in one way or another (clubs, restaurants, museums, etc.).
THE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Although new technologies will not be sufficient to counter to the growing number of tourists in the world, it still needs to be implemented as soon as possible, in all facilities. These include solar-powered water heaters, new temperature control systems and energy saving appliances. Less than 20% of the resorts, hotels and bed and breakfasts, today, actually use one or more of these technologies. This is something that needs to change, and some of the bigger players are taking the lead, thankfully.
REDUCE THE WASTE
One of the biggest problems found in the tourism industry resides in the waste it creates. So much food is destroyed, uselessly. The best example of that, can be found on cruise ships, where buffets overflow and always end-up with lots that has to be thrown out. In the UK only, it has been calculated that the hotels waste about 80,000 metric tons of food per year. Again, many of the big chains are looking into solutions, which hopefully will result in big changes soon.
