Green tourism is just the ticket

Decarbonization, focusing on sustainability giving rise to a whole new travel experience

As concerns grow about climate change and environmental degradation, the travel industry and governments in Asia are increasingly recognizing the need to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism, a key source of emissions.

Low-carbon tourism has become a buzzword among government authorities and tour operators, as well as a growing number of tourists, as they seek to lessen the negative impact of their travel activities — especially carbon emissions — on the environment.

"The new trend is very important, that we mainstream decarbonization and climate action in every major economic sector, especially tourism," said Adnan Amin, chief executive officer of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP28.

According to the UN Tourism and the International Energy Agency, the tourism sector accounts for about 8 to 11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a critical industry in the global push toward net zero.

"Without urgent action, transport-related emissions from tourism could increase by 25 percent by 2030," Amin said. "Thanks to rapid technological advances, we now have far more tools and solutions to decarbonize tourism. Lower emissions and sustainable travel are no longer a distant goal — it's achievable. But making real progress requires strong international cooperation."