Last year, I went on a 5-week trip to Italy and France. During the trip, I enjoyed swimming in the waters of Cinque Terre, eating delicious pizza in Naples, and exploring the streets of Paris. The convenience of modern aviation allowed me to complete my round trip of 32,000 km in approximately 24 hours each way.
However, while I had budgeted for the financial costs of the trip, I failed to consider the carbon cost. It is widely recognized that human activities have contributed to about 1°C of additional atmospheric warming since the industrial revolution. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that crossing a 1.5°C threshold will have devastating impacts on human life and ecosystems.
To prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5°C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, emissions need to peak before 2025, halve by 2030, and reach net-zero as soon as possible before 2050. The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, launched at COP26, commits the tourism sector to these goals.
So, what does the future of global tourism look like as it begins to decarbonize? Will it require a change in our approach to travel in the coming decades?
According to a report released last year by Paul Peeters, a
