Reduction of carbon footprint

There are several ways to reduce your carbon footprint when you travel. Some examples are (Terrapass, 2021): 1) Replace air travel with green alternatives; 2) Make climate-friendly choices when you fly; 3) Stay in environmentally-friendly hotels; 4) Be smart with energy and water; 5) Take advantage of the “Do Not Disturb” sign. 6) Pack your reusable items; 7) Walk, bike, and take public transport; 8) Eat local cuisine, and; 9) Balance your remaining emissions with carbon offsets. Here are other ways to reduce the carbon footprint of your tourism business (Sustainable Tourism 2030, 2019; UNWTO, 2017):

• Provide clear and comprehensive information about low carbon activities guests can enjoy on and offsite such as walking, running, cycling, canoeing, etc.
• Provide information on your website and brochures highlighting public transport options
• If there are limited public transportation options, promote cycling and bike rentals, walking, and private group shuttles and busses that will carry passengers at once
• Offer incentives to guests who choose to use public transportation, such as discounts, special gifts/services, etc.
• Provide electric car charging infrastructure for your guests and staff
• If you have a company vehicle, create a plan to move to electric vehicles
• If you operate watercraft, golf carts, or other fossil fuel-powered vehicles, look for electric options
• Ensure that your facilities are pedestrian and cyclist friendly, providing drying areas, repair tools, and bench, secure storage, etc.
• Encourage your staff to use public transportation, and carpool, and offer incentives
• Offer staff an allowance for purchasing a bike or bus pass to offset parking requirements/pressure at your business

While a carbon footprint is a combination of the negative impacts one’s action has on the environment, a carbon handprint is all of the positive things one does to affect their footprint. The goal is to grow your handprint larger than your footprint (Climate One, 2014; Nazli, 2013).

The fundamental characteristic of the carbon handprint approach is that the handprint can be achieved by improving the performance of other actors and reducing their carbon footprint (Lakanen et al., 2022). Actions such as improving energy efficiency, reducing the use of materials, making climate-friendly choices of raw materials, developing product recyclability, reducing the amount of waste, lengthening product lifespans, and improving product usability can have an impact on a product’s carbon handprint.

The hotel sector accounts for around 1 percent of global carbon emissions and this is set to increase. Hospitality, like other industries, has a responsibility to manage its impact on our planet [11] therefore, has a responsibility to reduce the carbon footprint in the industry as well. On the other hand, a study by Chan (2021) identified seven barriers to reducing carbon footprint in the hotel industry such as (1) a lack of overall understanding, (2) a lack of owner initiative, (3) problem of measurement, (4) a lack of stakeholder coordination and support, (5) a lack of a strong mediator, (6) balancing interests and (7) risky investment.

The sustainable development concept implies the process of achieving a balance between economic, social, and ecological requirements, provided that “meeting the needs of current generations without jeopardizing possibilities of future generations to meet their needs” would be ensured. Organizations should pay attention to the balance between economic growth and environmental management, knowing that if the organization reduces its carbon footprint, respects the environment, and shows itself to the visitors, it will benefit from this situation in financial terms [6]

Climate change is already affecting the hospitality sector. Extreme weather is increasing the cost of operations and reducing the number of tourists visiting certain destinations. The impacts of climate change may affect tourism demand directly, interfering with the choice of destination and the period of the trip, or indirectly affecting the quality of the experience, negative perception after extreme events, and insecurity about the tourism spot. Therefore, tourism organizations should pay attention to the effects of climate change on their operations, touristic activities, and the destination as a whole.