Tourism’s Carbon Emissions in 25 Countries: New Skift Research

In 2019, tourism contributed about 11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The tourism sector is highly vulnerable to climate change and at the same time contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). If the negative impact of tourism on the environment is not fixed, it will not only impact the success of the tourism industry but threaten human survival fundamentally.

In Skift Research’s latest report, we attempt to demystify the assumption that tourism is a ‘low Impact and non-consumptive development option’ by estimating the amount of carbon emitted because of tourism-related activities in select 25 countries. On the back of secondary research and interactions with three senior industry professionals, we also highlight the fact that to date GHG emissions from tourism at a destination level are largely unaccounted for.

To quantify emissions at a destination level, we calculated the ‘Tourist Emission Facto