Will the current energy crisis accelerate the pro-environmental transformation of tourism and increase the scale of development of green, sustainable tourism?
Rising fossil fuel prices, energy prices are increasing interest in the development of renewable energy sources, increasing pressure to increase energy independence and diversification of energy sources, the application of new energy technologies in economic activities, eco-innovations that generate savings in the consumption of fossil fuels, switching to more energy-efficient means of transport, to electromobiles. In this way, the current energy crisis may perpetuate trends already underway, which are an offshoot of the long-term developing climate crisis. The pro-environmental trends of scaling up the implementation of sustainable development goals, the implementation of eco-innovations and green energy technologies into economic processes, which have been developing as important elements of the green economy, counteracting the progressive process of global warming and the worsening climate crisis are now being exacerbated by the developing energy crisis. The growing pro-environmental and pro-climate awareness of citizens may also force a change in the business models of tourism companies, which will increasingly enrich their tourism service offers with sustainability, pro-environmental, pro-climate, environmental protection issues, including, among others, through the use of emission-free energy sources, electromobility vehicles, etc. The effect of such pro-environmental processes may also be to add issues of sustainability, pro-environmental action, climate protection and planetary biosphere protection to the missions of tourism companies. The effect of such paradigm shifts and business models may be to change the standards of the means of transport used in tourism, increase the use of zero-emission transport and thus accelerate the pro-environmental transformation of tourism. Perhaps the consolidation of such processes in the years to come will increase the scale of development of green, sustainable tourism.
In view of the above, I address the following research question to the esteemed community of researchers and scientists:
Will rising fossil fuel, energy prices cause a change in the standards of the means of transport used in tourism, increase the scale of use of zero-emission transport and thus accelerate the pro-environmental transformation of tourism and increase the scale of development of green, sustainable tourism?
Will the current energy crisis perpetuate already developing trends of sustainable tourism development and increase the scale of pro-climate awareness among citizens?
Will the current energy crisis accelerate the pro-environmental transformation of tourism and increase the scale of green, sustainable tourism development?
What is your opinion on this topic?
Please respond,
I invite you all to discuss,
Thank you very much,
Warm regards,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Transport and accommodation are the most "productive" tourism sectors in terms of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. As of 2016, transport-related CO2 emissions of the tourism sector, accounted for around 5% of total CO2 emissions. At the same time, the share of tourist transport emissions in total transport CO2 emissions is 21.1%. This is a significant contribution to pollution. Especially as there is an increasing trend in this contribution (in 2005 it represented 18% of total transport CO2 emissions). This figure is projected to rise to 22.8% in 2030. This is enough to raise awareness of the need to reduce the impact on the environment and to take action. For the tourist accommodation sector, activities are already being taken to reduce the negative impact on the environment. For example, https://www.unwto.org/green-hotel-investments-to-restart-tourism and many others. Therefore, rising fossil fuel prices will certainly accelerate the greening of the transport tourism sector and lead to an increase the scale of sustainable tourism.
The higher the price of polluting activities, the lesser chances of people to engage in these activities; hence, more chances to increase the scale of green and sustainable tourism development. The "Polluter Pays" Principle (PPP) should be applied.
It adds to the whole circular economy where tourism will be part of the equation of production of cleaner products, agriculture, biofuels, forest conservation, organic production, etc., so all works integrated.
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