Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
An examination of the major flows of arrivals, however, illustrates that
intraregional trips dominate, accounting for a predicted 1.2 billion of the over-
all estimated 1.6 billion trips. Much of this is actually cross-border tourism
between near countries such as the USA and Mexico. Most tourists simply
visit countries near to their place of domicile. For example, France, which is
the most popular receiving country in the world, accounts for 77 million
arrivals per annum; most visitors arrive from near countries such as Germany,
the Netherlands and the UK. Spain follows France, with 52 million arrivals,
whereas the USA stands at 42 million. As most international tourism is by
road, this requires a substantial commitment to infrastructure; although air-
borne tourism was, until 2008, enjoying a growing share in this short-haul
market.
There are several environmental impacts ensuing from the development
and scale of tourism; these are discussed more fully in Chapter 2. The major
issues relate to use of energy, and in particular oil and CO
2
emissions. Becken
and Hay (2007) argue that the predicted level of demand for tourist trips will
not be feasible, given the level of existing oil supplies. Current forms of trans-
port are almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels, principally oil, and this
presents a major problem for the tourism sector. It is especially the case with
the most popular mode, the car, as well as cruise liner and air travel. As oil
supplies have now peaked, or are about to peak, the trend price of oil is likely
to increase, as it becomes a much scarcer resource than hitherto (Greene et al,
2006). Transport to the destination and whilst at the destination relies
primarily on oil: over 90 per cent of tourism transport is oil dependent. The
main consumption of oil in tourism occurs in the origin-destination element
of a tourist trip, and in the likely event of fuel scarcity there will be a radical
change in the structure of the tourism market, a matter which we address in
the final chapter.
The tourism sector is currently responsible for an estimated 5 per cent of
total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide, which at first glance seems
modest. Tourism is, nevertheless, by no means a small player. It stands along-
side total emissions derived from the world's commercial buildings (United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2009). Furthermore, a main con-
cern relates to the growth of the sector and hence an increase in the use of
natural finite resources. Tourism is a reactive sector which has, for the most
part, moved grudgingly to adapt rather than to mitigate the effects of climatic
change. Not that slow travel is a panacea for all of the energy and climatic
change impacts; all forms of tourism bring impacts. It is, however, a part of
the wider sustainable tourism development framework.
The explanation as to why the travel element is worthy of development is
compelling. If travel accounts for between 75 and 90 per cent of all of the car-
bon emissions accruing from tourism, then the issues of spatial distance and
energy intensity of mode of transport are key factors in any strategy to reduce
impacts (Gössling, 2002). Therefore, the focus of this topic is on the travel
element. As Becken and Hay (2007, p114) comment:
