tourism culture and sustainable development

Sustainable tourism

Related sdgs, promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable ....

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Publications.

Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment, while being closely linked to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of many countries, especially developing countries. Maritime or ocean-related tourism, as well as coastal tourism, are for example vital sectors of the economy in small island developing States (SIDS) and coastal least developed countries (LDCs) (see also: The Potential of the Blue Economy report as well as the Community of Ocean Action on sustainable blue economy).

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities".

Based on General assembly resolution 70/193, 2017 was declared as the  International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development SDG target 8.9, aims to “by 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism is also highlighted in SDG target 12.b. which aims to “develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”.

Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “by 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries” as comprised in SDG target 14.7.

In the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We want, sustainable tourism is defined by paragraph 130 as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities by supporting their local economies and the human and natural environment as a whole. ” In paragraph 130, Member States also “call for enhanced support for sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building in developing countries in order to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”.

In paragraph 131, Member States “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small- and medium-sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”. In this regard, Member States also “underline the importance of establishing, where necessary, appropriate guidelines and regulations in accordance with national priorities and legislation for promoting and supporting sustainable tourism”.

In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg called for the promotion of sustainable tourism development, including non-consumptive and eco-tourism, in Chapter IV, paragraph 43 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

At the Johannesburg Summit, the launch of the “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) initiative was announced. The initiative was inaugurated by the World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with UNCTAD, in order to develop sustainable tourism as a force for poverty alleviation.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) last reviewed the issue of sustainable tourism in 2001, when it was acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Johannesburg Summit.

The importance of sustainable tourism was also mentioned in Agenda 21.

For more information and documents on this topic,  please visit this link

UNWTO Annual Report 2015

2015 was a landmark year for the global community. In September, the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a universal agenda for planet and people. Among the 17 SDGs and 169 associated targets, tourism is explicitly featured in Goa...

UNWTO Annual Report 2016

In December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. This is a unique opportunity to devote a year to activities that promote the transformational power of tourism to help us reach a better future. This important cele...

Emerging Issues for Small Island Developing States

The 2012 UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Global Environmental Issues primarily identified emerging environmental issues and possible solutions on a global scale and perspective. In 2013, UNEP carried out a similar exercise to identify priority emerging environmental issues that are of concern to ...

Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom, We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for su...

15 Years of the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection: A Compilation of Good Practices

Although it is widely recognized that tourism is not the cause of child exploitation, it can aggravate the problem when parts of its infrastructure, such as transport networks and accommodation facilities, are exploited by child abusers for nefarious ends. Additionally, many other factors that contr...

Towards Measuring the Economic Value of Wildlife Watching Tourism in Africa

Set against the backdrop of the ongoing poaching crisis driven by a dramatic increase in the illicit trade in wildlife products, this briefing paper intends to support the ongoing efforts of African governments and the broader international community in the fight against poaching. Specifically, this...

Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012

Previous Caribbean assessments lumped data together into a single database regardless of geographic location, reef environment, depth, oceanographic conditions, etc. Data from shallow lagoons and back reef environments were combined with data from deep fore-reef environments and atolls. Geographic c...

Natural Resources Forum: Special Issue Tourism

The journal considers papers on all topics relevant to sustainable development. In addition, it dedicates series, issues and special sections to specific themes that are relevant to the current discussions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)....

Thailand: Supporting Sustainable Development in Thailand: A Geographic Clusters Approach

Market forces and government policies, including the Tenth National Development Plan (2007-2012), are moving Thailand toward a more geographically specialized economy. There is a growing consensus that Thailand’s comparative and competitive advantages lie in amenity services that have high reliance...

Road Map on Building a Green Economy for Sustainable Development in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Grenada

This publication is the product of an international study led by the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Foreig...

Natural Resources Forum, a United Nations Sustainable Development Journal (NRF)

  Natural Resources Forum, a United Nations Sustainable Development Journal, seeks to address gaps in current knowledge and stimulate relevant policy discussions, leading to the implementation of the sustainable development agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable...

UN Ocean Conference 2025

Our Ocean, Our Future, Our Responsibility “The ocean is fundamental to life on our planet and to our future. The ocean is an important source of the planet’s biodiversity and plays a vital role in the climate system and water cycle. The ocean provides a range of ecosystem services, supplies us with

UN Ocean Conference 2022

The UN Ocean Conference 2022, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, came at a critical time as the world was strengthening its efforts to mobilize, create and drive solutions to realize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

58th Session of the Commission for Social Development – CSocD58

22nd general assembly of the united nations world tourism organization, world tourism day 2017 official celebration.

This year’s World Tourism Day, held on 27 September, will be focused on Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development. Celebrated in line with the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Day will be dedicated to exploring the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Deve

World Tourism Day 2016 Official Celebration

Accessible Tourism for all is about the creation of environments that can cater for the needs of all of us, whether we are traveling or staying at home. May that be due to a disability, even temporary, families with small children, or the ageing population, at some point in our lives, sooner or late

4th Global Summit on City Tourism

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Regional Council for Tourism of Marrakesh with support of the Government of Morroco are organizing the 4th Global Summit on City Tourism in Marrakesh, Morroco (9-10 December 2015). International experts in city tourism, representatives of city DMOs, of

2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Ulsan Metropolitan City with support of the Government of the Republic of Korea are organizing the 2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference, in Ulsan, Republic of Korea (14 - 16 October 2015). Under the title “Paving the Way for a Bright Future for Mounta

21st General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization

Unwto regional conference enhancing brand africa - fostering tourism development.

Tourism is one of the Africa’s most promising sectors in terms of development, and represents a major opportunity to foster inclusive development, increase the region’s participation in the global economy and generate revenues for investment in other activities, including environmental preservation.

• January 2017 International Year of Tourism In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute to the SDGs.
• January 2015 Targets 8.9, 12 b,14.7 The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits Member States, through Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.9 to “devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism, as a driver for jobs creation and the promotion of local culture and products, is also highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal target 12.b. Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “increase [by 2030] the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries”, through Sustainable Development Goals Target 14.7.
• January 2012 Future We Want (Para 130-131) Sustainable tourism is defined as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities” as well as to “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small and medium sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”.
• January 2009 Roadmap for Recovery UNWTO announced in March 2009 the elaboration of a Roadmap for Recovery to be finalized by UNWTO’s General Assembly, based on seven action points. The Roadmap includes a set of 15 recommendations based on three interlocking action areas: resilience, stimulus, green economy aimed at supporting the tourism sector and the global economy.
• January 2008 Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria represent the minimum requirements any tourism business should observe in order to ensure preservation and respect of the natural and cultural resources and make sure at the same time that tourism potential as tool for poverty alleviation is enforced. The Criteria are 41 and distributed into four different categories: 1) sustainability management, 2) social and economic 3) cultural 4) environmental.
• January 2003 WTO becomes a UN specialized body By Resolution 453 (XV), the Assembly agreed on the transformation of the WTO into a United Nations specialized body. Such transformation was later ratified by the United Nations General Assembly with the adoption of Resolution A/RES/58/232.
• January 2003 1st Int. Conf. on Climate Change and Tourism The conference was organized in order to gather tourism authorities, organizations, businesses and scientists to discuss on the impact that climate change can have on the tourist sector. The event took place from 9 till 11 April 2003 in Djerba, Tunisia.
• January 2002 World Ecotourism Summit Held in May 2002, in Quebec City, Canada, the Summit represented the most important event in the framework of the International Year of Ecosystem. The Summit identified as main themes: ecotourism policy and planning, regulation of ecotourism, product development, marketing and promotion of ecotourism and monitoring costs and benefits of ecotourism.
• January 1985 Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code At the World Tourism Organization Sixth Assembly held in Sofia in 1985, the Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code were adopted, setting out the rights and duties of tourists and host populations and formulating policies and action for implementation by states and the tourist industry.
• January 1982 Acapulco Document Adopted in 1982, the Acapulco Document acknowledges the new dimension and role of tourism as a positive instrument towards the improvement of the quality of life for all peoples, as well as a significant force for peace and international understanding. The Acapulco Document also urges Member States to elaborate their policies, plans and programmes on tourism, in accordance with their national priorities and within the framework of the programme of work of the World Tourism Organization.

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Culture and Creativity

Sustainable cultural tourism.

Europe’s cultural heritage is a valuable resource in the fields of tourism, education, employment and sustainable development. Sustainable cultural tourism is a vital part of regional and macro-regional development strategies. In this regard, culture is both a driver and an enabler of sustainable development.

Tourism: the balance between development and the protection of cultural heritage

Tourism is an excellent way to encourage and provide access to cultural heritage, but it also brings with it challenges related to overcrowding, cultural appropriation and the loss of authenticity. Tourism brings money and jobs to cities and regions, but it can also damage residents’ day-to-day lives, as well as the area’s culture and heritage.

Given the possible negative effects of over-tourism and its impact on cultural heritage, some local communities and heritage experts have at times opposed tourism and its associated development.

Sustainable cultural tourism offers a new perspective, as it places cultural heritage and local communities at the centre of decision-making processes.

Involving local communities and other stakeholders in the decision-making processes is key to ensuring results benefit both cultural heritage and the local population. The objective of sustainable cultural tourism is to ensure good conservation practices along with authentic interpretation that supports the local economy.

Find out more about what the European Commission is doing to encourage sustainable cultural tourism .

Sustainable cultural tourism Open Method of Coordination working group

The Work Plan for Culture adopted by EU Member States for the period 2015-2018 included a working group composed of European experts on sustainable cultural tourism under the  Open Method of Coordination approach.

The resulting report includes the first definition of sustainable cultural tourism, as well as recommendations and guidelines for policymakers and 27 case studies illustrating best practices in both tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Read the Sustainable cultural tourism report .

Selected projects

Spot project.

Funded under the Horizon 2020 programme, this project aims to develop a new approach to understanding and addressing cultural tourism and to promote the development of disadvantaged areas.

Find out more about the SPOT project .

SmartCulTour

Funded under Horizon 2020, this project supports development in European regions with important cultural assets, both tangible and intangible, through sustainable cultural tourism.

Find out more about SmartCulTour .

Funded under Horizon 2020, this project connects cultural tourism stakeholders and researchers who have new approaches and methods to support European cultural tourism. The aim of the project is to reinforce a feeling of belonging and to value minority cultures.

Find out more about the IMPACTOUR project .

The European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN)

EDEN promotes models of sustainable tourism across the EU. Through this initiative, partnering countries select and promote “destinations of excellence”.

EDEN draws attention to emerging, non-traditional European destinations, highlighting their values and character. It also works as a platform for sharing good practices between awarded destinations. The European Commission and the National Tourism Bodies choose a theme every year. Cultural tourism was the EDEN theme in 2017 .

Discover the winning destinations on the EDEN website .

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How global tourism can become more sustainable, inclusive and resilient

A sanitary mask lies on the ground at Frankfurt Airport Image:  Reuters/Ralph Orlowski

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Stay up to date:, travel and tourism.

• Tourism rose to the forefront of the global agenda in 2020, due to the devastating impact of COVID-19
• Recovery will be driven by technology and innovation – specifically seamless travel solutions, but it will be long, uneven and slow
• Success hinges on international coordination and collaboration across the public and private sectors

Tourism was one of the sectors hit hardest by the global pandemic. 2020 was the worst year on record for international travel due to the global pandemic, with countries taking decisive action to protect their citizens, closing borders and halting international travel.

The result was a 74% decline in international visitor arrivals, equivalent to over $1 trillion revenue losses , and an estimated 62 million fewer jobs . The impact on international air travel has been even more severe with a 90% drop on 2019 , resulting in a potential $1.8 trillion loss. And while the economic impact is dire in itself, nearly 2.9 million lives have been lost in the pandemic.

The path to recovery will be long and slow

Countries now face the challenge of reopening borders to resume travel and commerce, while protecting their populations’ health. At its peak, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported in April 2020 that every country on earth had implemented some travel restriction , signalling the magnitude of the operation to restart travel.

Have you read?

Tourism industry experts fear long road to recovery, how we can prioritize sustainability in rebuilding tourism, covid-19 could set the global tourism industry back 20 years.

Consequently, the path to recovery will be long and slow. The resurgence of cases following the discovery of new variants towards the end of last year delivered another disappointing blow to the travel industry. Any pickup over the summer months was quashed following a second wave of lockdowns and border closures . Coupled with mixed progress in the roll-out of vaccination programs, I predict that we will not see a significant rebound in international travel until the middle of this year at best.

Others echo my fears. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts a 50.4% improvement on 2020 air travel demand, which would bring the industry to 50.6% of 2019 levels . However, a more pessimistic outlook based on the persistence of travel restrictions suggests that demand may only pick up by 13% this year, leaving the industry at 38% of 2019 levels. McKinsey & Company similarly predict that tourism expenditure may not return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2024 .

How to enhance sustainability, inclusivity and resilience

Given its economic might – employing 330 million people, contributing 10% to global GDP before the pandemic, and predicted to create 100 million new jobs – restoring the travel and tourism sector to a position of strength is the utmost priority.

The Great Reset provides an opportunity to rethink how tourism is delivered and to enhance sustainability, inclusivity and resilience. We must also address the challenges – from climate change and “ overtourism ” to capacity constraints – that we faced before the pandemic, while embracing traveller preferences, as we rebuild.

A 2018 study found that global tourism accounted for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions from 2009 to 2013 ; four times higher than previous estimates. Even more worryingly, this puts progress towards the Paris Agreement at risk – recovery efforts must centre around environmental sustainability.

Furthermore, according to a study on managing overcrowding, the top 20 most popular global destinations were predicted to add more international arrivals than the rest of the world combined by 2020 . While COVID-19 will have disrupted this trend, it is well known that consumers want to travel again, and we must address the issues associated with overcrowding, especially in nascent destinations, like Saudi Arabia.

The Great Reset is a chance to make sure that as we rebuild, we do it better.

Seamless solutions lie at the heart of travel recovery

Tourism has the potential to be an engine of economic recovery provided we work collaboratively to adopt a common approach to a safe and secure reopening process – and conversations on this are already underway.

Through the G20, which Saudi Arabia hosted in 2020, our discussions focused on how to leverage technology and innovation in response to the crisis, as well as how to restore traveller confidence and improve the passenger experience in the future .

At the global level, across the public and private sectors, the World Economic Forum is working with the Commons Project on the CommonPass framework , which will allow individuals to access lab results and vaccination records, and consent to having that information used to validate their COVID status. IATA is trialling the Travel Pass with airlines and governments , which seeks to be a global and standardized solution to validate and authenticate all country regulations regarding COVID-19 travel requirements.

The provision of solutions that minimize person-to-person contact responds to consumer wants, with IATA finding that 85% of travellers would feel safer with touchless processing . Furthermore, 44% said they would share personal data to enable this, up from 30% months prior , showing a growing trend for contactless travel processes.

Such solutions will be critical in coordinating the opening of international borders in a way that is safe, seamless and secure, while giving tourists the confidence to travel again.

Collaboration at the international level is critical

The availability of vaccines will make this easier, and we have commenced our vaccination programme in Saudi Arabia . But we need to ensure processes and protocols are aligned globally, and that we support countries with limited access to vaccinations to eliminate the threat of another resurgence. It is only when businesses and travellers have confidence in the systems that the sector will flourish again.

In an era of unprecedented data and ubiquitous intelligence, it is essential that organizations reimagine how they manage personal data and digital identities. By empowering individuals and offering them ways to control their own data, user-centric digital identities enable trusted physical and digital interactions – from government services or e-payments to health credentials, safe mobility or employment.

The World Economic Forum curates the Platform for Good Digital Identity to advance global digital identity activities that are collaborative and put the user interest at the center.

The Forum convenes public-private digital identity collaborations from travel, health, financial services in a global action and learning network – to understand common challenges and capture solutions useful to support current and future coalitions. Additionally, industry-specific models such as Known Traveller Digital Identity or decentralized identity models show that digital identity solutions respecting the individual are possible.

The approach taken by Saudi Arabia and its partners to establish consensus and build collaborative relationships internationally and between the public and private sectors, should serve as a model to be replicated so that we can maximize the tourism sector’s contribution to the global economic recovery, while ensuring that it becomes a driver of prosperity and social progress again.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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• A/70/472 - Sustainable development: report of the Second Committee [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• A/RES/70/193 - International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, 2017 [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• A/RES/70/196 - Sustainable tourism and sustainable development in Central America [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• A/RES/70/200 - Global Code of Ethics for Tourism [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• Compendium of Best Practices in Sustainable Tourism

What Is Sustainable Tourism and Why Is It Important?

Sustainable management and socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental impacts are the four pillars of sustainable tourism

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What Makes Tourism Sustainable?

The role of tourists, types of sustainable tourism.

Sustainable tourism considers its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts by addressing the needs of its ecological surroundings and the local communities. This is achieved by protecting natural environments and wildlife when developing and managing tourism activities, providing only authentic experiences for tourists that don’t appropriate or misrepresent local heritage and culture, or creating direct socioeconomic benefits for local communities through training and employment.

As people begin to pay more attention to sustainability and the direct and indirect effects of their actions, travel destinations and organizations are following suit. For example, the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment is aiming to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025, while the island country of Palau has required visitors to sign an eco pledge upon entry since 2017.

Tourism industries are considered successfully sustainable when they can meet the needs of travelers while having a low impact on natural resources and generating long-term employment for locals. By creating positive experiences for local people, travelers, and the industry itself, properly managed sustainable tourism can meet the needs of the present without compromising the future.

What Is Sustainability?

At its core, sustainability focuses on balance — maintaining our environmental, social, and economic benefits without using up the resources that future generations will need to thrive. In the past, sustainability ideals tended to lean towards business, though more modern definitions of sustainability highlight finding ways to avoid depleting natural resources in order to keep an ecological balance and maintain the quality of environmental and human societies.

Since tourism impacts and is impacted by a wide range of different activities and industries, all sectors and stakeholders (tourists, governments, host communities, tourism businesses) need to collaborate on sustainable tourism in order for it to be successful.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) , which is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of sustainable tourism, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) , the global standard for sustainable travel and tourism, have similar opinions on what makes tourism sustainable. By their account, sustainable tourism should make the best use of environmental resources while helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity, respect the socio-culture of local host communities, and contribute to intercultural understanding. Economically, it should also ensure viable long-term operations that will provide benefits to all stakeholders, whether that includes stable employment to locals, social services, or contributions to poverty alleviation.

The GSTC has developed a series of criteria to create a common language about sustainable travel and tourism. These criteria are used to distinguish sustainable destinations and organizations, but can also help create sustainable policies for businesses and government agencies. Arranged in four pillars, the global baseline standards include sustainable management, socioeconomic impact, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts.

Travel Tip:

The GSTC is an excellent resource for travelers who want to find sustainably managed destinations and accommodations and learn how to become a more sustainable traveler in general.

Environment 

Protecting natural environments is the bedrock of sustainable tourism. Data released by the World Tourism Organization estimates that tourism-based CO2 emissions are forecast to increase 25% by 2030. In 2016, tourism transport-related emissions contributed to 5% of all man-made emissions, while transport-related emissions from long-haul international travel were expected to grow 45% by 2030.

The environmental ramifications of tourism don’t end with carbon emissions, either. Unsustainably managed tourism can create waste problems, lead to land loss or soil erosion, increase natural habitat loss, and put pressure on endangered species . More often than not, the resources in these places are already scarce, and sadly, the negative effects can contribute to the destruction of the very environment on which the industry depends.

Industries and destinations that want to be sustainable must do their part to conserve resources, reduce pollution, and conserve biodiversity and important ecosystems. In order to achieve this, proper resource management and management of waste and emissions is important. In Bali, for example, tourism consumes 65% of local water resources, while in Zanzibar, tourists use 15 times as much water per night as local residents.

Another factor to environmentally focused sustainable tourism comes in the form of purchasing: Does the tour operator, hotel, or restaurant favor locally sourced suppliers and products? How do they manage their food waste and dispose of goods? Something as simple as offering paper straws instead of plastic ones can make a huge dent in an organization’s harmful pollutant footprint.

Recently, there has been an uptick in companies that promote carbon offsetting . The idea behind carbon offsetting is to compensate for generated greenhouse gas emissions by canceling out emissions somewhere else. Much like the idea that reducing or reusing should be considered first before recycling , carbon offsetting shouldn’t be the primary goal. Sustainable tourism industries always work towards reducing emissions first and offset what they can’t.

Properly managed sustainable tourism also has the power to provide alternatives to need-based professions and behaviors like poaching . Often, and especially in underdeveloped countries, residents turn to environmentally harmful practices due to poverty and other social issues. At Periyar Tiger Reserve in India, for example, an unregulated increase in tourists made it more difficult to control poaching in the area. In response, an eco development program aimed at providing employment for locals turned 85 former poachers into reserve gamekeepers. Under supervision of the reserve’s management staff, the group of gamekeepers have developed a series of tourism packages and are now protecting land instead of exploiting it. They’ve found that jobs in responsible wildlife tourism are more rewarding and lucrative than illegal work.

Flying nonstop and spending more time in a single destination can help save CO2, since planes use more fuel the more times they take off.

Local Culture and Residents

One of the most important and overlooked aspects of sustainable tourism is contributing to protecting, preserving, and enhancing local sites and traditions. These include areas of historical, archaeological, or cultural significance, but also "intangible heritage," such as ceremonial dance or traditional art techniques.

In cases where a site is being used as a tourist attraction, it is important that the tourism doesn’t impede access to local residents. For example, some tourist organizations create local programs that offer residents the chance to visit tourism sites with cultural value in their own countries. A program called “Children in the Wilderness” run by Wilderness Safaris educates children in rural Africa about the importance of wildlife conservation and valuable leadership development tools. Vacations booked through travel site Responsible Travel contribute to the company’s “Trip for a Trip” program, which organizes day trips for disadvantaged youth who live near popular tourist destinations but have never had the opportunity to visit.

Sustainable tourism bodies work alongside communities to incorporate various local cultural expressions as part of a traveler’s experiences and ensure that they are appropriately represented. They collaborate with locals and seek their input on culturally appropriate interpretation of sites, and train guides to give visitors a valuable (and correct) impression of the site. The key is to inspire travelers to want to protect the area because they understand its significance.

Bhutan, a small landlocked country in South Asia, has enforced a system of all-inclusive tax for international visitors since 1997 ($200 per day in the off season and $250 per day in the high season). This way, the government is able to restrict the tourism market to local entrepreneurs exclusively and restrict tourism to specific regions, ensuring that the country’s most precious natural resources won’t be exploited.

Incorporating volunteer work into your vacation is an amazing way to learn more about the local culture and help contribute to your host community at the same time. You can also book a trip that is focused primarily on volunteer work through a locally run charity or non profit (just be sure that the job isn’t taking employment opportunities away from residents).

It's not difficult to make a business case for sustainable tourism, especially if one looks at a destination as a product. Think of protecting a destination, cultural landmark, or ecosystem as an investment. By keeping the environment healthy and the locals happy, sustainable tourism will maximize the efficiency of business resources. This is especially true in places where locals are more likely to voice their concerns if they feel like the industry is treating visitors better than residents.

Not only does reducing reliance on natural resources help save money in the long run, studies have shown that modern travelers are likely to participate in environmentally friendly tourism. In 2019, Booking.com found that 73% of travelers preferred an eco-sustainable hotel over a traditional one and 72% of travelers believed that people need to make sustainable travel choices for the sake of future generations.

Always be mindful of where your souvenirs are coming from and whether or not the money is going directly towards the local economy. For example, opt for handcrafted souvenirs made by local artisans.

Growth in the travel and tourism sectors alone has outpaced the overall global economy growth for nine years in a row. Prior to the pandemic, travel and tourism accounted for an $9.6 trillion contribution to the global GDP and 333 million jobs (or one in four new jobs around the world).

Sustainable travel dollars help support employees, who in turn pay taxes that contribute to their local economy. If those employees are not paid a fair wage or aren’t treated fairly, the traveler is unknowingly supporting damaging or unsustainable practices that do nothing to contribute to the future of the community. Similarly, if a hotel doesn’t take into account its ecological footprint, it may be building infrastructure on animal nesting grounds or contributing to excessive pollution. The same goes for attractions, since sustainably managed spots (like nature preserves) often put profits towards conservation and research.

Costa Rica was able to turn a severe deforestation crisis in the 1980s into a diversified tourism-based economy by designating 25.56% of land protected as either a national park, wildlife refuge, or reserve.

While traveling, think of how you would want your home country or home town to be treated by visitors.

Are You a Sustainable Traveler?

Sustainable travelers understand that their actions create an ecological and social footprint on the places they visit. Be mindful of the destinations , accommodations, and activities you choose, and choose destinations that are closer to home or extend your length of stay to save resources. Consider switching to more environmentally friendly modes of transportation such as bicycles, trains, or walking while on vacation. Look into supporting locally run tour operations or local family-owned businesses rather than large international chains. Don’t engage in activities that harm wildlife, such as elephant riding or tiger petting , and opt instead for a wildlife sanctuary (or better yet, attend a beach clean up or plan an hour or two of some volunteer work that interests you). Leave natural areas as you found them by taking out what you carry in, not littering, and respecting the local residents and their traditions.

Most of us travel to experience the world. New cultures, new traditions, new sights and smells and tastes are what makes traveling so rewarding. It is our responsibility as travelers to ensure that these destinations are protected not only for the sake of the communities who rely upon them, but for a future generation of travelers.

Sustainable tourism has many different layers, most of which oppose the more traditional forms of mass tourism that are more likely to lead to environmental damage, loss of culture, pollution, negative economic impacts, and overtourism.

Ecotourism highlights responsible travel to natural areas that focus on environmental conservation. A sustainable tourism body supports and contributes to biodiversity conservation by managing its own property responsibly and respecting or enhancing nearby natural protected areas (or areas of high biological value). Most of the time, this looks like a financial compensation to conservation management, but it can also include making sure that tours, attractions, and infrastructure don’t disturb natural ecosystems.

On the same page, wildlife interactions with free roaming wildlife should be non-invasive and managed responsibly to avoid negative impacts to the animals. As a traveler, prioritize visits to accredited rescue and rehabilitation centers that focus on treating, rehoming, or releasing animals back into the wild, such as the Jaguar Rescue Center in Costa Rica.

Soft Tourism

Soft tourism may highlight local experiences, local languages, or encourage longer time spent in individual areas. This is opposed to hard tourism featuring short duration of visits, travel without respecting culture, taking lots of selfies , and generally feeling a sense of superiority as a tourist.

Many World Heritage Sites, for example, pay special attention to protection, preservation, and sustainability by promoting soft tourism. Peru’s famed Machu Picchu was previously known as one of the world’s worst victims of overtourism , or a place of interest that has experienced negative effects (such as traffic or litter) from excessive numbers of tourists. The attraction has taken steps to control damages in recent years, requiring hikers to hire local guides on the Inca Trail, specifying dates and time on visitor tickets to negate overcrowding, and banning all single use plastics from the site.

Traveling during a destination’s shoulder season , the period between the peak and low seasons, typically combines good weather and low prices without the large crowds. This allows better opportunities to immerse yourself in a new place without contributing to overtourism, but also provides the local economy with income during a normally slow season.

Rural Tourism

Rural tourism applies to tourism that takes place in non-urbanized areas such as national parks, forests, nature reserves, and mountain areas. This can mean anything from camping and glamping to hiking and WOOFing. Rural tourism is a great way to practice sustainable tourism, since it usually requires less use of natural resources.

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• Open access
• Published: 29 March 2024

Studying tourism development and its impact on carbon emissions

• Xiaochun Zhao 1 ,
• Taiwei Li 1 &
• Xin Duan 1  

Scientific Reports volume  14 , Article number:  7463 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

• Environmental impact
• Sustainability

Analyzing the influence of tourism on carbon emission has significant implications for promoting the sustainable development of tourism. Based on the panel data of 31 tourist cities in China from 2005 to 2022, this study utilizes a structural equation model to explore the carbon reduction effect of tourism development and its influencing mechanism. The results show that: (1) The overall carbon emission efficiency of tourism cities first decreased and then increased, rised to a peak of 0.923 in 2022. (2) Tourism development has a significant positive impact on carbon emission efficiency, and there are three influence paths: tourism → environmental regulation → carbon emission efficiency, tourism → environmental regulation → industrial structure → carbon emission efficiency, and tourism → industrial structure → carbon emission efficiency. (3) The influence of tourism development on carbon emission efficiency mainly depends on the direct effect, and the development of tourism also indirectly affect the industrial structure. Environmental regulation also mainly depends on the direct effect on carbon emission efficiency. (4) Foreign direct investment lead to the reduction of carbon emission efficiency in both direct and indirect aspects.

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Introduction

Global climate change has become one of the major challenges of humanity, bringing a series of harms, including an increase in extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and hurricanes. According to the report of United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by 2080, the average global temperature will increase by more than 1 °C 1 . Global warming is not merely a natural phenomenon, but also a result of human activity. In various sectors of the economy, the tourism industry has experienced rapid growth. According to data from the World Tourism Organization, the tourism industry accounts for 10.4% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides 313 million job opportunities 2 . However, the rapid development of the tourism industry has also resulted in intensified impacts on the environment. Tourism industry has become one of the main sources of global carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 5% of the total global carbon emissions. China is one of the largest tourism markets in the world, and the tourism industry plays a vital role in China's economy. In China's 14th Five-Year Plan, the concept of green and low-carbon development is emphasized, highlighting the need for environmentally friendly tourism and carbon emission reduction. Balancing tourism industry development with carbon emission reduction is a major challenge for the tourism industry. Existing studies on tourism and carbon emissions mainly focus on the carbon emission efficiency of tourism development itself and the impact of tourism on carbon emissions. However, these studies fail to analyze the mechanism behind tourism's impact on carbon emission efficiency. While some studies have analyzed the impact mechanism of tourism development and carbon emissions 3 , they primarily focused on the impact of tourism on carbon emission intensity rather than carbon efficiency. Carbon intensity is typically measured as a ratio of carbon emissions to GDP. In contrast, carbon efficiency provides a more comprehensive assessment of a city's environmental performance and sustainability. Comprehensive analyzing the mechanism of the influence of tourism development on carbon emission efficiency is essential for formulating environmental protection policies to promote the green development of tourism. Therefore, this paper aims to study the influence mechanism of tourism on carbon emission efficiency s of tourism development. Using 31 tourist cities in China as research samples, the paper adopts the entropy weight method and the Slacks-Based Measure (SBM), introduces the Structural Equation Model (SEM), and uses panel data of 31 tourist cities to analyze the influence of tourism industry on carbon emission. The findings of this study are hoped to provide inspiration for the transformation of tourism cities.

The remainder of this study is divided into four sections. The first section is the literature review, which examines the carbon emission efficiency of the tourism industry itself and the impact of tourism development on carbon emission efficiency from a tourism research perspective. The second section is the research design, where the paper utilizes the entropy weight method and the super-efficiency SBM model to measure the development level of the tourism industry and carbon emission efficiency, respectively. This section also constructs a structural equation model to explore the mechanism of the impact of tourism development on carbon emission efficiency. The third section presents the research results and the last section concludes this study and provides suggestions based on research findings.

Literature review

Tourism plays a vital role in economic growth by creating jobs 4 . Scholars have conducted extensive research and achieved significant academic results. The current research on the tourism industry and carbon emission efficiency primarily revolves around two aspects.

Firstly, scholars focus on the carbon emission efficiency of the tourism industry. For example, Gössling et al. 5 analyzed the economic benefits and environmental effect of tourism, evaluating the ecological efficiency of the tourism industry by using carbon dioxide emissions and economic benefits. Osorio et al. 6 compared the carbon emission efficiency of the Spanish tourism industry before and after the pandemic of COVID-19, and found that the carbon emission efficiency in 2020 improved compared before COVID-19 pandemic. Ghaderi et al. 7 conducted research on the carbon emission efficiency of tourism industry in the Middle East and North Africa, this study indicated that tourist arrivals can reduce carbon emissions, while energy consumption and trade openness are contributors to carbon emissions.

Secondly, scholars focus on the impact of tourism on carbon emission. However, the consensus among scholars has not yet been reached on whether the tourism industry promotes carbon emission. Some scholars have analyzed the impact of tourism activities on carbon emissions in Mediterranean countries and concluded that tourism revenue does not have direct impact on carbon emissions 8 . Voumik et al. 9 studied tourism industry in 40 Asian countries and found that while tourism helps slow down the deterioration of environment, factors such as population growth, energy use, and economic development still contribute to increasing carbon emission, which is consistent with the conclusions of Guo et al. 10 . Erdoğan et al. 11 focused on the impact of international tourism on carbon emissions and found that international tourism leads to the increase of carbon emissions, but eco-friendly innovation in the transportation sector can mitigate the negative impact on the environment. Ahmad et al. 12 revealed an inverted U-shaped curve in the impact of international tourism development on carbon emissions in China, with the negative impact of technological innovation being strongest in highly developed provinces and weakest in moderately developed provinces. Ghosh et al. 13 found tourism industry can alleviate environmental degradation, policy direction that promote tourism, renewable energy, economic growth and urbanization have a significant effect on the environment, which is consistent with the conclusion of Zikirya et al. 14 . Rahman et al. 15 shifted their focus to Malaysia and found a positive correlation between the number of tourists and carbon emissions.

In summary, existing studies primarily focus on the carbon emission efficiency of tourism and the impact of tourism on carbon emission. However, there is a lack of focus on how tourism affects carbon emission efficiency. This study aims to address this gap by taking 31 tourist cities in China as research samples. This study constructs an indicator system to assess tourism industry and carbon emission efficiency. Furthermore, this study introduces a structural equation model to analyze the mechanisms about how tourism industry affects carbon emission efficiency, to provide inspiration for promoting the green development of tourism.

Research Design

Analyzing the influence mechanism of tourism on carbon emission.

The tourism industry is considered a smokeless and green industry, due to its significant advantages in resource utilization and environmental protection. The development of the tourism industry can not only promote the growth of employment rate in the destination, but also increase the income of tourist destinations. Compared with the secondary industry, the tourism industry is more environmentally friendly in terms of resource consumption and pollution emission. Especially in tourism cities, the proportion of tourism economy in GDP is larger, tourism has a bigger impact on the green development of the tourism city. Consequently, the influence mechanism of tourism on carbon emissions is analyzed as follows:

Firstly, a good natural ecological environment is a fundamental requirement for the development of the tourism industry. Tourism cities typically implement strict governance measures on the local environment and ecology. The development of tourism can incentive the local government to introduce more stringent environmental policies, thereby improving the ecological environment 16 . Additionally, stricter environmental regulations often impact carbon emission efficiency 17 , 18 . Simultaneously, intensified environmental regulations can limit the development space of heavily polluting industries and influence the industrial structure of the destination, ultimately affecting carbon emission efficiency 19 .

Secondly, the development of tourism also affects the industrial structure of cities 20 . The growth of tourism promotes the rise of related industries. Numerous supporting industries, such as hotels, catering, transportation, tour guides, and others, are needed to meet the demands of tourists and create numerous employment opportunities. Consequently, tourism development can attract individuals to switch from other industries to the tourism sector, which in turn impacts the industrial structure and has a significant effect on carbon emissions 21 .

Finally, foreign direct investment is an important factor that affects carbon emission efficiency 22 . This study draws on the conclusion of Bakhsh et al. 23 , which suggests that including foreign direct investment in analysis can improves the overall fit of the structural equation model. On one hand, foreign direct investment can bring advanced production technology, thereby directly improving carbon emission efficiency 24 . On the other hand, foreign investment also leads to pollution transfer, negatively impacting the environment and reducing carbon emission efficiency 25 . At the same time, foreign direct investment can indirectly affect carbon emission efficiency by influencing the local industrial structure. Moreover, the advanced technologies brought about by foreign direct investment also have an impact on technological innovation, thereby indirectly affecting carbon emissions.

Based on above analysis, this study builds a structural equation model about the influence of tourism on carbon emission (see Fig. 1 ).

The influence mechanism of tourism on carbon emission.

Research method

• Structural equation model

The Structural Equation Model (SEM), first proposed by Jöreskog 26 , is used to study complex relationships among different variables, including multiple causal relationships. When examining the impact of tourism on carbon emissions, it is important to consider that this impact is not a single direct effect. Instead, there are complex internal mechanisms, including indirect effects and interactions among variables 27 . Therefore, this study chooses to employ SEM to analyze the internal mechanism of how tourism affects carbon emission efficiency.

Entropy weight method

In this study, the entropy weight method is utilized to calculate the Tourism Development (TD) level. The entropy weight method is a quantitative approach based on the concept of entropy in information theory. It helps determine the weight of indicators by calculating the entropy and difference coefficient of each index. This calculation process reflects the importance of each index in the overall assessment. By multiplying and summing the standardized index with the entropy weight, the assessment results can be obtained 28 . The specific calculation process is as follows:

Firstly, the raw data needs to be standardized, see formula ( 1 ) and formula ( 2 ) for details.

Positive indicator:

Negative indicator:

Among them, \({ }x_{ij} { }\) represents the data of the indicator, \(i{ }\) represents city. \(j{ }\) represents index, \(r_{ij}^{ + }\) and \(r_{ij}^{ - }\) represents standardized data.

Secondly, calculate the weight of \(j\) index by using formula ( 3 ).

Thirdly, calculate the entropy of \(j\) by using formula ( 4 ).

Fourthly, calculate information entropy redundancy by using formula ( 5 ).

Fifthly, calculate index weight by using formula ( 6 ).

Finally, calculate the assess results by using formula ( 7 ).

Non-expected output super efficiency SBM model

Tone 29 proposed a super-efficient model based on the traditional SBM model, which combines the advantages of both the traditional SBM model and the super efficiency model. This model not only considers the influence of unexpected output, but also solves the problem that the traditional SBM model cannot evaluate the Decision-Making Unit (DMU) with the efficiency value of 1 on the front plane. By recalculating the DMUs with an efficiency value of 1, the model enables the comparison of effective DMUs. The specific formulas are as follows:

Designing index system for tourism and carbon emission efficiency, variable explaining and data source

Designing index system and variable interpretation.

This study utilizing the entropy weight method to calculate the Tourism Development level(TD). To evaluate the development level of tourism, this paper designs the index system of tourism development (see Table 1 ). Firstly, the number of tourists is an important indicator that represents the development of tourism, as it reflects the scale of tourism and market demand 30 . Secondly, tourism income is a crucial index for measuring the economic benefit of tourism, as it represents the economic benefit and profit level of tourism. Tourism income directly impacts the sustainable development of tourism and related industries. Finally, the proportion of tourism revenue to GDP is an essential indicator for measuring the contribution and impact of tourism on the overall economy. On the basis of previous studies, this study constructs the evaluation index system of tourism development level.

The essence of Carbon Emission Efficiency (CEE) is the result of the joint action of capital, labor, energy, and other inputs and outputs in economic activities. Therefore, adopting a multi-input and multi-output perspective, this study uses MATLAB software to measure the carbon emission efficiency of 31 tourist cities. Acknowledging that efficiency values are influenced by both inputs and outputs, this study selects five indicators: labor input, capital input, energy input, expected output, and undesirable output to measure carbon emission efficiency (see Table 2 ). Firstly, the total number of employees in enterprises and public institutions reflects the economic scale of state-owned enterprises and public institutions, while the total number of urban private self-employed employees highlights the scale of the development of the private and individual economy 31 . Therefore, the sum of the total number of employees in enterprises and public institutions and the total number of private and individual employees in cities and towns is chosen as the representative of labor input, which fully reflects the employment scale and labor supply of a country or region. Secondly, electricity is widely used as an energy source in cities, and its consumption largely reflects a city's energy consumption 32 . The total electricity consumption of the city is selected to represent the energy input. Thirdly, investments in fixed assets reflects the investment of a country or region in capital goods such as production equipment and buildings over a certain period, and it is an important measure of capital formation 33 . The capital stock of the city is calculated based on the investment in fixed assets to represent the capital input. Fourthly, GDP is the sum of all the market value created by all the residents of a country or region in a certain period, and it is the most important macroeconomic indicator for measuring the overall economic performance of a country or region 34 . Fifthly, undesirable outputs usually denote by-products or negative effects that occur during the production process, which are not the desired outcomes of manufacturing activities. Carbon dioxide emissions are selected as the undesirable outputs. Finally, this paper takes 2005 as the base period to calculate the capital stock and GDP, to enhance the comparability of data between different years.

Variables involved in structural equation model

Based on the existing research and data availability, proxy variables for the structural equation model are set up (see Table 3 ). (1) Tourism, calculated by entropy weight method, reflects the development level of urban tourism; (2) Carbon emission efficiency, calculated by the non-expected output super efficiency SBM, reflects the carbon emission and resource utilization efficiency of the city; (3) Environmental regulation. Currently, there are three quantitative methods for environmental regulation, which are single index method 35 , scoring method 36 and comprehensive index method 37 . This paper uses the proportion of investment in environmental pollution control in GDP(Gross Domestic Product) as a proxy variable for environmental regulation. (4) Industrial structure, the proportion of the output value of the tertiary industry and the output value of the secondary industry are used as the proxy variable,(5) Foreign direct investment, some scholars believe that foreign direct investment has a negative impact on the environment, supporting the pollution paradise hypothesis, while other scholars believe that foreign direct investment has an improving effect on the environment, supporting the pollution halo hypothesis. Because of fact that the stock of foreign investment can more accurately reflect the impact of foreign investment on environmental pollution, this paper adopts the proportion of foreign direct investment in regional GDP as a proxy variable by referring to the practice of Afi et al. 38 . (6) Urban innovation, referring to the research of Cheng et al. 39 , China's urban innovation index is adopted as a proxy variable. The index is mainly based on two parts of data, namely patent data of the State Intellectual Property Office and enterprise registered capital data of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, including innovation output and patent value.

Research sample and data source

This study selects Chinese tourism cities as research samples to explore the influence of tourism on carbon emission efficiency. This study refers to the research of Zhang et al. 40 and Huang et al. 41 , a total of 31 tourism cities were selected as research samples. These cities include Beijing, Tianjin, Shenyang, Dalian, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Xiamen, Jinan, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Guilin, Haikou, Wenzhou, Changchun, Harbin, Huangshan, Wuhan, Changsha, Luoyang, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing, Chengdu, Kunming and Xi 'an.

The study period was from 2005 to 2022. The data in this study were obtained from China Urban Statistical Yearbook (2006–2022), China Energy Statistical Yearbook (2006–2022), statistical yearbooks and statistical bulletins of provinces and cities.

Research results

Evaluation results of carbon emission efficiency and tourism development in tourist cities.

This study measured the carbon emission efficiency of 31 tourist cities from 2005 to 2022 and revealed its evolution characteristics. The calculation results are shown in Table 4 .

According to Table 4 , a clear upward trend is evident in the tourism development level of 31 tourist cities from 2005 to 2019, with the level increasing from 0.125 in 2005 to 0.499 in 2019, thereby reaching its peak. From 2020 to 2022, due to the impact of COVID-19, the number of tourists decreased, and the development level of tourism dropped significantly. From 2005 to 2022, the carbon emission efficiency of 31 tourism cities generally showed a fluctuating upward trend. The overall efficiency decreased year by year from 2005 to 2011, reaching its lowest at 0.707. But then it began to fluctuate and rise and reached a peak of 0.923 in 2022.

Analyzing the influence of tourism development on carbon emission efficiency and its influencing mechanism

Analysis the influence of tourism industry on carbon emission and its influencing mechanism based on all samples.

Based on the structural equation model, the required variables were introduced into the STATA software. The parameters of the constructed model were then estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method, yielding the estimated results for standardized estimation coefficients, standard errors, Z-values, and P-values. The specific results are shown in Table 5 and Fig.  2 .

Structural equation model estimation results.

For all the tourist city samples, the structural equation model was estimated using the STATA software through the maximum likelihood estimation method. The estimated results included standardized estimation coefficients, standard errors, Z-values, and P-values. In terms of the overall fit of the model, the comparative fit index (CFI) is 0.902, slightly greater than 0.9, and the standardized residual root mean square (SRMR) is 0.07, slightly higher than 0.05 but less than 0.08 threshold, indicating that the overall fit of the model is good.

Logarithmic likelihood: − 8623.74;Likelihood ratio test of saturation model: chi-square(4) = 71.00, Prob > chi-square = 0.0000; The index of fit degree:RMSEA:0.109;AIC:14,115.030; BIC:16,023.930; CFI:0.902;SRMR: 0.070.

Table 5 and Fig.  2 demonstrate the mechanism of tourism's influence on carbon emission efficiency as follows: Firstly, a 1% increase in tourism development level leads to a direct increase of 0.1148% carbon emission efficiency, which passes the 1% significance level test. This indicates that the development of urban tourism significantly promotes the improvement in carbon emission efficiency. This indicates that tourism development can improve carbon emission efficiency, which is consistent with the study conducted by Si et al. 42 . On one hand, tourism stimulates local economic development,on the other hand, it consumes resources and emits less pollution compared to other industries. This implies that tourism development directly affects carbon emission efficiency and there is a mechanism of tourism → carbon emission efficiency. Secondly, the sustainable development of tourism imposes stricter demands on the ecological environment quality. As a result, the development of tourism prompts governments to introduce more rigorous environmental policies. The greater the intensity of urban environmental regulation, the more significant its impact on carbon emission efficiency. Each 1% increase in the level of tourism development would directly increase the intensity of environmental regulation by 0.1280%. There is a direct between environmental regulation and emission efficiency. Every 1% increase in environmental regulation, there is a corresponding 0.8% increase in carbon emission efficiency. This finding supports the conclusion that environmental regulation plays an effective role in reducing carbon emissions 43 . This finding also suggests that there is a mechanism of tourism → environmental regulation → carbon emission efficiency. Thirdly, empirical results reveal an influence effect of tourism → environmental regulation → industrial structure → carbon emission efficiency. Each 1% increase in environmental regulation would change the industrial structure by 0.1524%, and each 1% increase in industrial structure would increase carbon emission efficiency by 0.2048%. This suggests that the tourism industry impacts the local industrial structure by strengthening environmental regulations, thereby driving the improvement of carbon emission efficiency. Fourth, a 1% increase in tourism development level changes the industrial structure by 0.7597%, indicating that tourism development has a significant impact on the local industrial structure. Additionally, the estimated coefficient of industrial structure on carbon emission efficiency is 0.0664, meaning that the transformation of industrial structure promotes the improvement of carbon emission efficiency. In other words, tourism influences local carbon emission efficiency by influencing the industrial structure. There is a mechanism of tourism → industrial structure → carbon emission efficiency.

The mechanisms through which foreign direct investment influences carbon emission efficiency can be summarized in three aspects. Firstly, foreign direct investment has negative impacts on carbon emission efficiency. This indicates in tourist cities, FDI may intensify local energy consumption and production activities and becomes a refuge for heavily polluting enterprises. These findings are in line with the research conducted by Wang et al. 44 . Secondly, foreign direct investment significantly and positively affects the local industrial structure, indicating that the production technology brought by foreign direct investment has changed the industrial structure of the city. The results reveal an influence path of foreign direct investment → industrial structure. Empirical findings demonstrate that the industrial structure impacts carbon emission efficiency, resulting in a path of foreign direct investment → industrial structure → carbon emission efficiency. Thirdly, the impact of foreign direct investment on the innovation ability of cities did not pass the significance test (P = 0.603), indicating that there is no influence path of foreign direct investment → urban innovation → carbon emission efficiency.

Further analysis based on effect decomposition

Based on the above estimation results, this study further decomposed the direct, indirect, and total effects of each factor affecting carbon emission efficiency, the results are shown in Table 6 .

As shown in Table 6 , the total effect of tourism on carbon emission efficiency is 0.0624, with a direct effect of 0.1148, accounting for 54.36% of the total effect. The direct effect passed the significance test but the indirect effect failed. This indicates that the influence of tourism on carbon emission mainly stems from the direct impact of tourism development on carbon emission efficiency, rather than the indirect effect. This empirical result aligns with the current reality in China. Cities can achieve the goal of reducing carbon emissions by focusing on green tourism and low-carbon tourism, promoting the use of environmentally friendly transportation modes in tourism, and improving the energy efficiency of tourism facilities. Furthermore, the estimates results reveal other important factors and pathways influencing carbon efficiency. Firstly, a higher intensity of environmental regulations can directly improve carbon emission efficiency. Every 1% increase in environmental regulation intensity would directly increase carbon emission efficiency by 0.2048%. Secondly, the direct effect of foreign direct investment on carbon emission efficiency is − 0.1379, and the indirect effect is − 0.0098, indicating that foreign direct investment has a negative impact on carbon emission efficiency in both direct and indirect aspects. Foreign investors may transfer polluting enterprises to tourist cities, resulting in increased carbon emissions and decreased carbon emission efficiency. Finally, changes in industrial structure have a positively effect on carbon emission efficiency. Every 1% change in industrial structure will reduce carbon emission efficiency by 0.0664%.

Conclusion and discussion

Based on panel data from 31 tourist cities between 2005 and 2022, this study utilizes a structural equation model to analyze the influence of tourism on carbon emissions. The research findings indicate the following:

The carbon emission efficiency of tourism cities first decreased and then increased, reaching a peak of 0.923 in 2022. Second, tourism has a significant positive effect on carbon efficiency in the estimation of all samples. This influence can be summarized into three paths: tourism development → environmental regulation → carbon emission efficiency; Tourism development → environmental regulation → industrial structure → carbon emission efficiency; Tourism development → industrial structure → carbon emission efficiency. Thirdly, the influence of local tourism development on carbon emission efficiency mainly depends on the direct effect, which is consistent with the reality of China, and the development of tourism will also indirectly affect the local industrial structure. Environmental regulation also mainly depends on the direct effect on carbon emission efficiency, and foreign direct investment will lead to the reduction of carbon emission efficiency in both direct and indirect aspects.

Based on these research findings, this study proposes several suggestions: Firstly, tourism affects carbon emission efficiency through environmental regulation and industrial structure. To strengthen environmental regulation, local governments should increase supervision over enterprises, improve environmental standards, and take strict actions against environmental violations. These measures can enhance carbon emission efficiency and accelerate urban green transformation. Secondly, considering the negative impact of foreign direct investment on carbon emission efficiency, local governments should carefully evaluate potential environmental problems when dealing with foreign investments. Preferably, eco-friendly foreign direct investments should be prioritized. Thirdly, the influence of tourism on carbon emission efficiency mainly depends on the direct effect. Therefore, in the process of tourism development, the goal of improving carbon emission efficiency should be integrated to promote the development of tourism in the direction of eco-tourism and green tourism.

The content of this study is to analyze the influence of tourism on carbon efficiency, using 31 tourist cities as case studies. It introduces mechanism that explains how tourism development impacts carbon emission efficiency through considerations of environmental regulation and industrial structure. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge that this study also has certain limitations when compared to previous research. Firstly although this study considers the impact of environmental regulations on carbon emission efficiency, it did not conduct an in-depth analysis of different dimensions of environmental regulations. It is worth noting that the intensity and enforcement of environmental regulations may have significant differences in their impact on carbon emission efficiency as highlighted by Lin et al. 45 . Therefore, it is suggested that future studies incorporate the intensity and enforcement of environmental regulations into the model. By doing so, a more accurate assessment can be made regarding their impact on carbon efficiency. Secondly, this study suggests a pathway for tourism development to have an impact on carbon emission efficiency by influencing industrial structure. However, it does not delve deeply into the specific methods of adjusting industrial structure. Ahmad et al. 12 have demonstrated that tourism's alternative impact on traditional manufacturing and high-carbon industries is a crucial approach to reducing carbon emissions. Future studies can potentially further analyze the contribution of tourism to the low-carbon transformation of industrial structure. Thirdly, this study suggests that FDI has a negative impact on carbon emission efficiency, but it does not fully discuss its potential positive effects. Zhang et al. 47 have found that foreign direct investment can introduce advanced environmental protection technology and management experience, thereby improving the city's carbon emission efficiency. Therefore, future studies should how to achieve a positive impact on carbon emission efficiency through policy guidance and optimization of FDI structure.

Data availability

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding authors.

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Integrating Culture and Tourism: A Resilient Scale for Digital Transformation Innovation

• Published: 22 January 2024

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• Chun-Yi Lin 1 ,
• Chen Li 1 ,
• Sadaf Mahmood 2 ,
• Feng Guo 3 &
• Zuoyi Qian 3  

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Industries are actively embracing digital transformation for innovative development in the rapidly changing landscape of the global digital economy. Despite digital transformation’s widespread uptake in sectors like manufacturing and information services, it still lacks clear guidelines and measurement standards in the cultural tourism sector. Addressing this gap, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in its 14th Five-Year Plan, introduced four fundamental frameworks for digital transformation: digital industrialization, industrial digitalization, digital governance, and data value appreciation. However, the content and dimensions of measurements needed by these frameworks are missing. This study used a strong methodology to fill this void and aid in the efficient implementation of policies by analyzing 3082 literature samples, soliciting input from experts, and verifying the results statistically through 109 questionnaires. The final all-encompassing framework includes 4 aspects, 13 dimensions, and 22 factors, measured across 98 measurement factors and 16 dimensions. The findings of the study provide credible analytical tools for digital innovation and transformation, highlight academic support for the government’s digital transformation framework, and shed light on the government’s governance framework from academic and industry perspectives. Furthermore, it introduces a diagnostic instrument for measuring digital transformation in service industries, particularly in cultural tourism, validates the practical application value of the triple helix theory, and provides quantifiable instruments for global digital transformation in the cultural tourism industry. The results highlight the global applicability of the Chinese government’s frameworks for digital transformation.

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Lin, CY., Li, C., Mahmood, S. et al. Integrating Culture and Tourism: A Resilient Scale for Digital Transformation Innovation. J Knowl Econ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-01753-y

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Dr. Duong Bich Hanh, UNESCO Programme Specialist for Culture, advocated for viewing tourism through a lens of sustainability, stressing the importance of aligning with the latest global concepts and principles. She highlighted the symbiotic relationship between tourism and economic growth, urging for concrete plans and innovative ideas to foster sustainable practices.

Dr. Ahmed Eiweida, World Bank Global Coordinator for Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism, contributed valuable insights on engaging local communities, articulating essential lessons derived from practical experiences from past World Bank projects in China.

The introductory session delved into Gansu's rich cultural heritage and tourism assets. Ms. Ji Huilin, Director of Policy and Regulation Division, Gansu Provincial Department of culture and Tourism, elaborated on legislative measures, local regulations, and scientific planning to safeguard these resources. Prof. Ba Duoxun from Northwest Normal University offered a comprehensive analysis of the cultural and creative industries, stressing the need to amplify the visibility and market value of local cultural assets while supporting community development. Representatives from seven key project sites within Gansu, including Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Ganzhou, Lintao, Tongwei, Qin'an, and Maiji, showcased their unique cultural heritage and current status of tourism development in their locations.

Community Engagement in Tourism Development

Mr. Peter DeBrine, Leader of Sustainable Tourism Programme, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, shed light on UNESCO’s approach to cultural tourism, emphasizing the crucial role of local communities in this process. A representative from Gansu Tourism Company showcased their initiatives in crafting routes catering to diverse audiences. Prof. Gao Yafang from Lanzhou University of Arts and Science presented compelling community involvement examples in Gansu, prominently demonstrated in rural tourism initiatives. Notably, rural homestay hosts often represent the backbone of rural communities, actively participating in tourism activities. Representatives from Zhangye and Dunhuang shared their community engagement experiences. 

For the group exercise, the participants were divided into three groups and tasked to design a 5-day itinerary on a chosen theme. As a result, 3 new tourism routes in 3 regions of Gansu (Northwest region including Dunhuang, Jiuquan and Zhangye, Central Gansu for Dingxi, Southeast Gansu including Tianshui and Longnan) were developed. The routes combine iconic sites with lesser-known attractions and experiences. Upon further refining, these routes can be used to provide additional options to Gansu visitors.

Planning and Management of Tourism

The second day training kicked off by Mr. DeBrine’s presentation on communicating with your visitors, providing the participants with practical suggestions for destination promotion, followed by explanation on global sustainable tourism principles and objectives, and UNESCO’s approach to world heritage and destination management. Wang Sanbei, Professor of Northwest Normal University, contributed local perspective on sustainable tourism.

Ms. Cecilie Smith-Christensen, lead developer of the UNESCO Visitor Management Assessment & Strategy Tool (VMAST) brought new perspective of climate change into tourism and visitor management and advocated for a culture of responsible tourism.

Mr. Lei Zhengguang, Deputy Director of the Culture Promotion Department of Dunhuang Academy, provided insights into Mogao Grottoes’s innovative approaches in enhancing visitor experience while managing the influx of tourists since its official opening to the public in 1979.

Mr. DeBrine then analyzed the new trends and evolving destination management strategies to address the challenges and opportunities presented by these trends. He shared several UNESCO’s innovative approaches including Heritage Journey, Sustainable Travel Pledge, and VMAST.

Under the guidance of Ms. Smith-Christensen on the UNESCO VMAST methodology, the participants identified 4 objectives that are the most important for the province: government and management system; ICH; protection of sensitive environment and environmental risks; and visitor volumes.

Advancing Sustainability through SMART Planning

The third day workshop started with the sharing of Prof. Zhao Chaozhi, UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Tourism in UNESCO Designated Sites, on China’s good practices on community participation and heritage education.

Ms. Smith-Christensen then introduced the SMART planning and guided the participants to apply the tool to identify concrete actions for each of the project sites to respond to an objective that deemed most important in their location. Seven sample projects were developed, some contributing strengthening current projects while others developed fresh ideas, all aiming to maximizing the benefits of tourism development for the local communities and heritage preservation.

Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia closed the workshop by highlighting its achievements, gained through providing the participants with hands-on experiences in applying global and national innovative approaches and tools in tourism destination management in their local context.

According to the data drawn from 30 evaluation questionnaires collected, 90% of the participants believe the capacity building workshop is very useful for their future work. They believe that the workshop brought them new concepts and approaches of sustainable tourism, particularly making them aware of the significance of community engagement. Many respondents mention the VMAST is a useful tool in planning and evaluation of their tourism initiatives.         

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