The harmful effects of tourism – How protect the planet?

Currently, almost everywhere, the question is raised about the need to protect the environment from human activity. Increasingly, we are faced with the unpleasant consequences of thoughtless and consumer attitude to nature.

It became apparent that even a favorite activity as traveling, also negatively affects the climate. In the next hundred years, tourists will fly to nine times more miles than now. The share of aviation in the CO² emissions caused by tourism will grow significantly and increase to 75 % in 2100. Thus, in order not to worsen the condition of the climate on the planet, it is necessary to limit the number of flying tourists.

This conclusion was made at the COP23 Climate Change Conference by Paul Peeters, Associate Professor Sustainable Transport and Tourism at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences. This conference was held under the auspices of the United Nations in Bonn, on 6^th to 17^th of November 2017.

According to the scientist, the fact that now the responsibility for climate policy provided by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) almost guarantees the failure of the project because this organization cannot be interested in the reduction of flying tourists. That is why each country must assume responsibility for emissions from international flights at their airports.

The conducted research by Peeters is an important contribution to the current negotiations on mitigation of climate change. There is still a lot of work on this issue, but it is now clear that the increase of any state responsibility for all aviation bunkers is a must. Nowadays it is important to think about the global limitations of airport capacity and make the necessary arrangements. It is necessary to evaluate the consequences for different parts of the world from all activities.