A Travel Itinerary Fit for the Future

As wildfires sweep through Greece and athletes head home from Paris after one of the hottest  Olympics ever, for those of us hoping to get away for a few days this summer, it’s not just the weather that’s making us consider our travel choices. A recent barrage of articles has sought to teach tourists how to behave, where (not) to visit, and what sort of rewards they might stand to win if they adhere to the rules. Gone are the days of disrupting the lives of the locals in Venice or hogging the view at the Acropolis. European cities are rethinking tourism - and so should the public.

Tourism is fuelling climate change

Tourism, an industry that is traditionally perceived as the bedrock of warm-weather (local) economies, has birthed a perverse kind of path dependency. Cities and local populations are reckoning with a form of overtourism that is not only disruptive, but also unsustainable in its scale and environmental impact. As tourists flock to top destinations every summer, they occupy housing in the form of short term rentals like Airbnbs, and ensure that the local economy is specifically tailored to their fleeting needs. Cheap flying, single-use plastics, and unimaginable excesses are par for the course for travellers, as environmental concerns take a back seat for a couple of weeks. And as rising incomes worldwide foster international tourism at record levels, many destinations are constantly under pressure to keep their communities livable for local people.

Aside from the pressure on destinations, tourism from western countries is largely dependent on an international aviation network that continues to grow as it rebounds from the Covid-19 shock. Aviation plays an important role in international mobility but is accompanied by high carbon emissions. Even as flying becomes more energy efficient, the fuel we use remains the same, being used in greater quantities as demand grows. 

As with all modern consumer activities, our travelling habits are part of a negative feedback loop, itself embedded in the greater cycle that is climate change. With temperatures rising, more and more people will attempt to beat the heat, exacerbating the current issues around unsustainable travel, the halted development of circular economies, and the housing shortage. What we need now, more than ever, is a vision for tourism that takes these issues into account. 

Revolutionising tourism requires bold action

At Volt, we propose concrete measures to address the systemic hurdles at the heart of an unsustainable industry, an effort that is intertwined with transformations in sister industries. Volt proposes establishing  a European Transport Authority (ETA) and tasking it with pushing innovation and sustainability in aviation. By abolishing tax exemptions on aircraft fuel, we can create a level playing field with other mobility options, such as international rail. Aviation fuel taxes should be used to foster decarbonisation and innovation, bolstering efforts to achieve net zero emissions in European international and domestic aviation by 2040. In tandem with an expansion of a pan-European rail network connecting all EU cities with populations exceeding 100,000, Europeans will be able to enjoy environmentally-friendly and comfortable travel alternatives.  

Transparency about the environmental impact of transport options should help customers make more informed choices, leading them away from the most harmful and pollutive ones. We might also reasonably expect that car tourism will remain important for the European travel industry, as a growing EV market ensures innovations in holiday vehicles and motor homes. 

Tackling emissions in the tourism sector will also have knock-on effects on overtourism. Cheap, efficient, and well-connected transport opens the door for travellers to experience new destinations, instead of heading for the usual hotspots. Cities with populations in revolt, such as Amsterdam, Venice, Barcelona, or Mallorca, will get a breather, as smaller towns reap the benefits of newfound foreign interest.

But changes must also be made in cities themselves, as cheap rentals take viable dwellings off the market. In line with current EU law, Volt supports further regulation of short-term accommodation and its online services, so as to ensure fair competition with local establishments and protect customers. 

Fighting climate change and creating a sustainable future requires that we alter our habits in more ways than we might be comfortable with - but we don’t have a choice. The short-term satisfaction of travel in its current form often falls flat anyway, in the face of overcrowded tourist-traps. But through concrete policies and incentives, we can ensure that tourism is a critical, but not indispensable component of our economies, and that it promotes intercultural exchanges, rather than quick and easy escapes.

Opinion article by members of the EUR Policy Team