WTTC: Significant Progress Made in Reducing Tourism’s Carbon Footprint

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The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 24th Global Summit, held in Perth (Boorloo), Western Australia, kicked off with an important update on the environmental footprint of the global travel and tourism sector. The WTTC’s latest Environmental & Social Research (ESR), produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, revealed that in 2023, travel and tourism contributed to 6.7% of global emissions—a significant drop from the 7.8% recorded in 2019 when the industry was at its peak.

This achievement demonstrates that the sector is growing economically while reducing its environmental impact. In 2023, travel and tourism’s contribution to global GDP neared pre-pandemic levels at $9.9 trillion USD, just 4% below its highest point, while global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 12% lower than in 2019. Additionally, GHG intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) fell by 8.4%, highlighting the sector’s shift toward cleaner growth.

“We are proving that we can grow responsibly. Travel and tourism are expanding economically while lowering their environmental footprint,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO. “While we’ve made progress in decoupling growth from emissions, our ultimate goal is absolute reductions. We need to accelerate this to meet the Paris climate targets. We’re on the right path, but we must elevate our efforts.”

Energy Usage and Green Transition

A key factor driving travel and tourism’s emissions is the energy used to power its operations. While 2023 marked positive trends, Simpson emphasized that the transition to renewable energy needs to be accelerated. The industry’s reliance on fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) dropped to 88.2% in 2023, down from 90% in 2019. Meanwhile, the share of low-carbon energy sources, such as nuclear and renewables, increased from 5.1% to 5.9% over the same period.

Tax Revenues and Future Investments

The global resurgence of the travel and tourism sector is also reflected in the tax revenues generated. In 2023, travel and tourism businesses contributed $3.32 trillion USD in taxes, representing 9.6% of total global tax revenues. Simpson stressed the importance of governments reinvesting these funds into decarbonizing infrastructure, expanding renewable energy, and supporting the green transition for businesses.

Note: Due to new data and methodology improvements, the sector’s share of global GHG emissions in 2019 has been revised down from 8.1% to 7.8% in this latest update.