PICTURE: ISTOCK
INSIGHT
GET THE RIGHT
BALANCE
Can responsible
tourism be
reconciled with
fl ying? Industry
lobby group
Tourism Concern
hosted a debate
on whether the
gains for
developing
countries
outweigh the
impact on
climate. Ian
Taylor reports
Tourism contributes 10%
to the world’s GDP and considerably
more in developing
countries where it can be the
biggest sector of the economy,
so any reduction in fl ying must
come at a cost.
Environmental groups often
argue that is a price that
has to be paid, while industry
advocates point out air travel
is far from the biggest contributor
to climate change and
brings benefi ts that economies
would otherwise miss.
Lobby group Tourism Concern
brought the two together
to debate it at its annual general
meeting in September.
Travel Foundation chairman
and former managing director
of British Airways Holidays
Roger Heape agreed not
every trip has merit.
“If you travel to the Antarctic
there is a high risk of degradation
to the environment and
no population to benefi t,”
he said.
“But tourism contributes
40% of the GDP in the Sey-
16 | Travel Weekly | November 14 2008
“If you travel to
the Antarctic there
is a high risk of
degradation to the
environment and
no population to
benefi t”
chelles and 30% in Barbados.
How do you work out the
balance of pain and gain?
“Rich nations have been the
biggest contributors to global
warming. Is it fair we visit our
sins on developing countries
by stopping fl ying to them?”
Former Oxfam fundraising
director Sam Clarke, chairman
of campaign coalition Stop Climate
Chaos, said: “We do not
want to abandon tourism – we
want to share the limits to it.
“Climate change is not good
news for tourists or the inhabitants
of poorer countries. This
is a human rights issue and
tourism pampers to the
relatively rich.”
Sustainable tourism consultant
Carey Newson asked:
“How will we reduce emissions
if a trip to the Caribbean
is a seasonal pick-me-up rather
than the trip of a lifetime?
“The UK is talking about an
80% reduction in emissions
and fl ying is the fastest growing
source. Long-haul fl ying
represents 3% of trips, but 17%
“By 2050, fl ying
could take up most
of the UK’s carbon
budget”
of emissions. By 2050, fl ying
could take up most of the UK’s
carbon budget.”
She added: “Just 6% of fl ying
involves people in [lower
income] groups D and E. It
www.travelweekly.co.uk
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