Global warming? Yes, from the pocket. A German family of 4 that comes to Maspalomas for tourism will have to pay 400 euros to spend their vacation on the island. A crazy price increase that will have to cut costs somewhere and that will be at the expense of companies in the south of the island. Canarian Coalition is alarmed by this fact and the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has moved to Brussels to try to avoid this expense but it is very difficult. Politicians say that the Canary Islands are exempt from this expense but the fine print says that only the Peninsula.
A crazy study by the University of La Laguna in Tenerife estimates that carbon emissions from tourist flights account for 54% of the emissions they cause in the Canary Islands. Researchers affirm that flights to and from the Canary Islands emit an average of 6,41 million tons of CO2 per year, 2-3% of the total of the Spanish airline sector. The latest estimate of total CO2 emissions produced by the Canary Islands, in 2017, was 11,8 million tons, and this figure does not include air travel. The study estimates that each tourist from Great Britain or Germany will contribute 470 kilos of CO2 on each return flight. In the case of a British tourist, this represents more than 8% of their average annual carbon footprint.
Sustainable tourism is a way to help protect countries and economies at risk from the climate crisis. It is also one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.” ”.
This could include limiting the number of tourists (as is being done in the south of France to help protect ecosystems), banning polluting means of transport (as the Dutch capital Amsterdam is doing with cruise ships and the city of Barcelona are trying to do). Reduce waste.
Avoiding flying is another option. British charity Possible is promoting this through its Climate Perks initiative. British companies that sign up agree to give their staff an increase in paid leave to cover the time needed to use slower, greener means of transport, such as trains or coaches, when they go on holiday.
Abandoning planes is also part of the “slow travel” trend. He advocates abandoning the “bucket list” approach of checking off as many destinations as possible, and for travelers to stay in one place and experience a local culture more fully. The World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on the Future of Sustainable Tourism is working to help the tourism sector create pathways to net-zero, nature-positive tourism that benefits local communities.
"Diversifying tourism strategies and activities is essential for countries to build resilience to economic fluctuations, mitigate over-reliance on a single industry, and foster sustainable development that benefits both local communities and the environment," says Topaz Smith. , aviation, travel and tourism community leader at the World Economic Forum. "Long-term planning is crucial for a more risk-resilient travel and tourism sector that anticipates and plans for future headwinds while maximizing development potential."
Most passengers understand that aviation has a significant impact on the environment. Emissions are now the top concern of respondents in 11 of the 13 countries surveyed, up from four in the 2019 survey. More than half of respondents said they are "really worried" about climate change and that aviation should become carbon neutral in the future.
Travel fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic: Airline revenue fell 60 percent in 2020, and air travel and tourism is not expected to return to 2019 levels before 2024. While this recession It is worrying, it is likely to be temporary. McKinsey's latest survey of more than 5.500 air travelers around the world shows that the aviation industry faces an even bigger challenge: sustainability.
For now, travelers continue to prioritize price and connections over sustainability when making booking decisions. This may be partly because no airline has created a business system or brand promise on sustainability. Additionally, some consumers may currently be less concerned about their own impact because they are flying less frequently during the pandemic. Attitudes and preferences vary widely between countries and customer segments. About 60 percent of travelers in Spain are willing to pay more for carbon-neutral flights, for example, compared to nine percent in India and two percent in Japan or to connect better with customers. .
