Planning a trip and worried about its footprint? Sustainable travel mostly comes down to how you get there, where you stay and how you spend your money. Start with transport, which the data flags as a major challenge.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Tourism transport CO2 emissions, 2016 | 1,597 million tonnes |
| Projected tourism transport CO2 emissions, 2030 | 1,998 million tonnes (a 25% rise) |
| Share of all man-made CO2 emissions, 2016 to 2030 | 5% rising to 5.3% |
| Share of all transport emissions, 2016 | 22% |
| International and domestic tourist arrivals, 2016 to 2030 | 20 billion rising to 37 billion |
These figures come from a report by the World Tourism Organization and the International Transport Forum, as covered by VoyagesAfriq and TTG Asia in December 2019. Figures can change, so check the sources before you rely on them.
What sustainable travel means in practice
At its simplest, sustainable travel means taking trips that cause less environmental harm and leave more benefit in the places you visit. It is not a single label or a perfect score. It is a set of choices you can make at each stage of a trip.
Most of those choices fall into three groups:
- Getting there: the mode of transport, the distance and how often you go.
- Staying there: the building you sleep in and how it uses energy, water and local labour.
- Spending there: who earns your money and whether local people and nature benefit.
The wider mindset behind these choices is explored in our guide to responsible tourism. You do not need to get every choice right. Pick the ones with the biggest effect first and improve from there.
Where tourism emissions come from
A 2019 report from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the International Transport Forum, titled “Transport Related CO2 Emissions of the Tourism Sector”, measured the emissions of tourism transport. It was launched at a side-event of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme at the COP25 climate summit in Madrid, according to VoyagesAfriq.
The report found that transport-related emissions from tourism were 5% of all man-made CO2 emissions in 2016. They are expected to reach 5.3% by 2030. Tourism-related transport also made up 22% of all transport emissions in 2016, with a similar share (21%) expected in 2030, as reported at the launch.
The growth in trips drives the rise. International and domestic arrivals were expected to climb from 20 billion to 37 billion, with domestic tourism making up most of it, from 18.8 billion to 35.6 billion. International arrivals were expected to grow from 1.2 billion to 1.8 billion, according to the same report coverage.
There was one more encouraging finding. Emissions per passenger kilometre were expected to decline over the coming decade as the sector made progress on low-carbon travel, TTG Asia reported. Total emissions were still projected to rise, because the number of trips grows faster than the efficiency gains.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s deputy executive secretary, Ovais Sarmad, said at the launch that tourism is mentioned in many Nationally Determined Contributions as a big concern, but “not enough has yet been done”, as TTG Asia noted. For a traveller, the practical reading is simple: the way you move matters, and you can influence it.
How do you choose lower-impact transport?
Transport is the part of a trip you can change most directly. The questions below help you decide before you book.
- Ask whether the trip needs to be that far. A closer destination removes distance before you start.
- Choose overland options when they are practical. Trains, coaches and ferries often turn the journey into part of the trip.
- Travel less often but stay longer. One long stay can replace several short breaks.
- Plan local movement. Walking, cycling and public transport at your destination keep the footprint small after you arrive.
If flying is the only realistic option, it helps to understand what you are weighing. Our explainer on the carbon footprint of flying looks at that choice in detail. Choosing to travel more slowly is a strategy in its own right, and the guide to slow travel shows how it works in practice.
Some travellers also pay to compensate for emissions they cannot avoid. Treat that as a last step after you have cut what you can, and read up on how carbon offsets for travel work before you buy any.
Choosing where to stay
The building you sleep in shapes your trip’s footprint for as long as you are there. A good sustainable stay is designed, powered and run with the local environment in mind. Marketing words alone do not show that.
When you compare places, look for specific answers to questions like these:
- How does the property get its energy and water, and what does it do about waste?
- Were local materials and local builders used?
- Does it employ people from the surrounding community?
- Does it share clear, checkable details instead of vague green claims?
If you want a place built around those ideas, start with eco lodges, which explains what to look for and what to question. Some travellers plan a whole trip around striking buildings, and this list of bamboo buildings to visit shows how natural materials can shape a stay.
The ideas behind these places come from how buildings are made. If that interests you, the hub on sustainable building covers materials and methods. The hub on sustainable architecture covers design choices that make a building work with its setting.
Spending well once you arrive
What you do at your destination decides who benefits from your visit. Small habits add up, especially when many visitors share them.
- Eat at local restaurants and buy from local makers.
- Hire local guides who know the area and its rules.
- Keep to marked paths and respect wildlife and protected areas.
- Ask before photographing people, and follow local customs on dress and behaviour.
- Carry a refillable bottle and take your rubbish with you when there is no bin.
Some trips are organised so that local people lead and own the experience. You can read how that works in the guide to community based tourism.
Regional context matters as well, because a good choice in one place can be a poor one in another. If you are heading to Asia, the regional guide to sustainable travel in southeast asia is a useful next read.
Frequently asked questions
Is sustainable travel only about flying less?
Show answer
No. Transport is a big part of it, but where you stay and how you spend your money matter too. Flying less is one lever among several.
How much of global emissions come from tourism transport?
Show answer
A 2019 UNWTO and International Transport Forum report put transport-related emissions from tourism at 5% of all man-made CO2 emissions in 2016, rising to 5.3% by 2030, according to VoyagesAfriq. Check the source for newer figures.
Will tourism emissions fall by themselves?
Show answer
Not by themselves, according to the same report. Emissions per passenger kilometre were expected to decline, but total transport CO2 from tourism was still projected to rise by 25% between 2016 and 2030, as TTG Asia reported.
Do I have to give up travel to be a sustainable traveller?
Show answer
No. You can make better choices about distance, transport mode, length of stay, accommodation and spending. Start with the change that is easiest for you and build from there.
Are carbon offsets enough?
Show answer
Treat offsets as a supplement, not a licence to ignore the rest. Cutting emissions from your trip comes first, and it pays to check how any offset scheme works before you rely on it.
