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Sustainable tourism: This is how we protect the environment from the consequences!
Find out how Germany's tourism contributes to the economy and at the same time causes environmental pollution.
Sustainable tourism: This is how we protect the environment from the consequences!
Tourism plays a key role for travelers and the economy in Germany. Every year, around 70 million long trips lasting at least five days are undertaken by German residents. In addition, the German tourism industry contributed significantly to the national economy in 2016 with around 100 billion euros, which corresponds to 4.4 percent of gross value added. Interestingly, in the same year, 2.9 million people were employed in the tourism sector. Tourism provides a job for one in eleven people worldwide.
However, due to its far-reaching importance, tourism also has a noticeable impact on the environment. These include high primary energy consumption, climate-damaging emissions, noise emissions and the impairment of biodiversity. These challenges are not only recognized by experts, but are also part of the agenda of the Federal Environment Agency, which would like to specify the environmental impacts of tourism in more detail and recommend suitable measures to reduce them. A 2002 study estimated environmental impacts qualitatively, but current quantitative surveys are lacking.
Consequences for the environment
One of the biggest challenges is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, particularly from tourist traffic, with air travel playing a crucial role. In addition to CO2, these also cause other emissions that have an even greater impact on the climate. Given the changing conditions due to climate change, it is of great importance for the tourism industry to adapt and develop strategies to reduce the harmful environmental impacts.
The Federal Environment Agency will also examine plans for adaptation, as air pollution caused by traffic, heating and leisure activities can affect air circulation. In water-scarce regions, tourism activities lead to water shortages and water pollution, while land use by tourism infrastructure endangers natural soil functions. The landscape and cityscape are also influenced by tourism developments.
Overnight stays and facilities
| Year | Overnight stays (millions) |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 351.2 |
| 2016 | 447.2 |
The number of overnight stays in Germany rose from 351.2 million in 2006 to 447.2 million in 2016. This development leads to increased pollution and is closely linked to the problems mentioned above, such as air and water pollution and the loss of biodiversity.
Overall, it is clear that tourism is both a contributor to and affected by the consequences of climate change. In order to sustainably master the challenge, strategic measures and a rethinking of the entire industry are required. This is the only way to promote environmentally friendly tourism that meets both economic and ecological requirements. Further information can be found on the website Ems-Vechte wave and Federal Environment Agency.