PERTH, Australia — The travel sector has reduced its environmental footprint, according to data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), last year accounting for 6.7% of all emissions globally. That’s down from 7.8% in 2019, when travel and tourism was at its peak.
“Our carbon intensity is falling,” said Julia Simpson, CEO of the WTTC. “Our sector generated less than half a kilo of carbon per dollar of travel tourism generated last year.”
The WTTC’s latest Environmental & Social Research data, revealed during its 24th Global Summit held here this week, shows that the sector’s economic contribution is growing faster than its environmental impact: Travel and tourism’s 2023 contribution to global GDP almost reached prepandemic levels at $9.9 trillion, just 4% shy of its peak. But travel’s global greenhouse gas emissions were 12% below the 2019 peak, with emissions per unit of GDP falling 8.4% during this period.
Simpson said most of the reduction has come from the increased use of renewable energy and that the numbers reveal “a defining moment, proving that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand in shaping the future of global tourism.”
“There is still a very long way to go,” she said. “But we are being transparent and accountable.”
The WTTC said the increases in renewable energy use and reductions in fossil fuel reliance remain relatively modest, highlighting the need for more decisive action. In 2023, the sector’s reliance on fossil fuel energy sources (oil, coal and natural gas) dropped to 88.2% from 90% in 2019. The share of low-carbon energy sources (nuclear and renewables) increased from 5.1% in 2019 to 5.9% in 2023.
Simpson said that with travel and tourism tax revenues amounting to 9.6% of total global tax revenues, governments “must use these additional revenues to reinvest in decarbonizing infrastructure, expanding renewable energies and supporting businesses in their green transition.”
The carbon footprint reduction demonstrates that the travel industry is becoming cleaner as it expands, Simpson said.
“Our sector is proving that we can grow responsibly,” she added. “We’re decoupling growth from emissions — travel and tourism is expanding economically while lowering its environmental footprint.”
