Mabrian, a leading tourism intelligence company, has shared the results of a new study on the impact of aviation on the carbon footprint and tourism sustainability of European tourist destinations in 2023, during its participation in a virtual session organized by the UN Tourism and the European Travel Commission (ETC) on measuring the carbon footprint of the tourism sector.
The study provides a detailed overview of several important aspects, including the main indicators of the carbon footprint generated by visitors traveling by air, the relationship between this footprint and the destination's tourism revenue, and the dependence of destinations on the markets of origin and the distance to these markets. In addition, the impact of long-haul flights is examined and specific data is provided on the contribution of aviation to CO2 emissions in the tourism industry.
Thus, Mabrian reveals that, in Europe during the year 2023, the countries that contributed significantly to aviation-related CO2 emissions include, in this order, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Russia and France. These countries account for a considerable portion of the total CO2 emissions generated by tourism, based on data from incoming flights to these countries, regardless of their origin. Closing the list of top 10 countries by volume of CO2 generated are countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and Greece.
Specifically, in 2023, the United Kingdom led the ranking with 31.4 million tons of CO2 generated, representing 18% of total emissions. Germany and Spain followed, with 20 million tons each, both with a 12% share in total emissions in Europe.
Russia and France ranked fourth and fifth, contributing 18 million tons, equivalent to 10% each. Italy was in sixth place with 13 million tons (7%), followed by the Netherlands with 9 million tons (5%). Switzerland and Portugal shared eighth and ninth place, generating 6 and 5 million tons respectively, each representing 3%.
Greece closed the list with 4 million tons, contributing 2% of total CO2 emissions.
The significant variation in the emissions generated compared to 2022 stands out, increasing by 16%. Especially notable in some countries such as the United Kingdom with an increase of 24.20%, followed by Italy with an increase of 22.69%, and France with an increase of 15.93%.
According to the data analyzed, in 2023 the aviation sector generated approximately 172 million tons of CO2 in Europe, which is equivalent to 4% of the total CO2 generated on the continent, according to European Union estimates. To offset this carbon footprint, it is estimated that 7 billion trees are needed per year, which represents 11% of the total forest mass in Europe, according to estimates by the European Union and the report by the consulting firm Encon.
Fuente: Belvera Partners.