The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center have unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the climate footprint of the Travel & Tourism sector in the European Union.
Between 2010 and 2019, just before the pandemic, the EU Travel & Tourism sector decoupled its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions.
The new data reveals Travel & Tourism’s contribution to the EU’s GDP grew on average by 2.1% annually, whilst greenhouse gas increased by just 0.3% during the same period. The data also shows how the sector’s emissions intensity is decreasing.
Europe is one of the busiest regions in the world, due to its unique position as arguably the most strategic group of international continental destinations for arrivals and transfers from other regions, arriving at and passing through Europe.
In one of the largest research projects of its kind ever undertaken, the global tourism body can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact industries within the sector have on the environment. This comprehensive, world-first research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with the latest figures.
The global findings were launched last week at the global tourism body’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center.
This research was made possible thanks to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center. Under the Saudi green Initiative, more than 60 initiatives have been launched in the past year, representing more than $186BN USD of investment in the green economy by Saudi Arabia.