The 24th World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit officially opened today, October 8, in Perth, Western Australia, with an update on its groundbreaking Environmental Footprint data.
THE The latest from WTTC Environmental and social research (ESR), created in partnership with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism, reported a marked decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the global travel and tourism sectors over the year elapsed.
According to the report, combined emissions figures from the travel and tourism sectors stand at 6.7% by the end of 2023. This figure is lower than the 7.8% reported in 2019, before travel restrictions were imposed all year round. throughout the years of the pandemic.
Interestingly, global GHG emissions over the past year were 12% lower than the 2019 peak, with GHG intensity (emissions per unit of gross domestic product) falling 8.4% in during this period. This demonstrates that the growth of the sector is becoming cleaner.
A defining moment
WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson remarked: “Our industry is proving we can grow responsibly. We decouple growth from emissions; travel and tourism are growing economically while reducing their environmental footprint. ”
Simpson added that this watershed moment proves that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand in shaping the future of global tourism.
However, she also reiterated that the long-term goal is an absolute reduction in GHG emissions, even if the sector decouples its growth from the increase in these emissions.
Simpson said: “We need to dramatically accelerate this progress to meet the Paris climate goals. We are on the right track, but we need to improve our game.”
Room for improvement and accelerated progress
Even though 2023 showed positive trends compared to 2019, it is clear that there are still significant opportunities to accelerate the green transition.
Increases in the use of renewable energy and reductions in dependence on fossil fuels remain relatively modest, highlighting the need for more decisive action.
In 2023, the sector's dependence on fossil energy sources (oil, coal and natural gas) fell to 88.2%, compared to 90% in 2019.
Also, the The share of low-carbon energy sources (nuclear and renewable) increased from 5.1% in 2019 to 5.9% in 2023, reflecting continued efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Improved revenue generation
The resurgence of the global travel and tourism sector is also reflected in the tax revenues flowing to governments through direct taxes paid by our businesses.
In 2023, the total joint tax revenue amounted to US$3.32 billion. This is equivalent to 9.6 percent of total global tax revenue.
The WTTC estimates that gGovernments must use this additional revenue to reinvest in the decarbonization of infrastructure, the development of renewable energy and supporting businesses in their green transition.
