TOURISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE
“A CHANGE OF LATITUDE WOULD HELP MY ATTITUDE”
Tourism is back to pre-pandemic levels. But so are the impacts on vulnerable ecosystems and communities in the Global South. A rapid switch to sustainable travel is imperative, but remains a distant proposition By Axel Reiserer, OPEC Fund
T he period between the end of February and the beginning of March this year was difficult for Himachal Pradesh, a state in the northern part of India located in the Western Himalaya. “Incessant bouts of heavy rainfall” triggered flash floods and landslides, local media reported. Vehicles were swept away and almost 600 roads had to be closed within hours. Yet, in less than a week Himachal Pradesh was back to normal – and tourists returned in large numbers, seeking the cooler climate of the mountains. This pattern can be found all over the world. Global tourism is back to pre-pandemic levels with 1.4 billion international travelers, according to the UN World Tourism Barometer. Growth is expected to continue throughout 2025, the UN Tourism organization says, while recalling “our immense responsibility as a sector to accelerate transformation, placing people and planet at the center of the development of tourism.” Although tourism has bounced back across the board, increases have been particularly strong in the Global South: Africa welcomed 7 percent
more arrivals in 2024 than in 2019, the Middle East recorded an increase of 32 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels and Asia and the Pacific also continued a rapid recovery with 316 million international visitors last year alone. The sector is critically important for economic growth, with tourism generating up to 10, 12 and 15 percent respectively in African, Asian and Caribbean countries, according to UN estimates. Yet tourism does not only create wealth. The industry is “both a cause and a victim of climate change,” as Tourism Watch, a non-governmental monitor, says. The numbers are well documented and generally undisputed: According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), an industry forum, in 2023 travel and tourism accounted for 6.5 percent (3.41 billion tonnes CO2 equivalent) of all global emissions. From 2009 to 2013 alone, emissions increased four times more than previously estimated. It was the COVID-19 pandemic which eventually halted the unstoppable rise, yet only temporarily.
“Since tourism generates a lot of economic advantages and opportunities,
we have tried to overexploit these ecologically sensitive areas.”
Abinash Mohanty, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability, IPE Global
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Photo: Courtesy of Abinash Mohanty
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