Tourism management 旅游管理

Tourism management

∙ Stephen Page

∙ London Metropolitan Business School, London, UK

Received 22 June 2011

Available online 12 July 2011

∙ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.06.012, How to Cite or Link Using DOI

∙ Permissions & Reprints

This is a very welcomed and illuminating report by a leading group of researchers working on the cutting edge of sustainable tourism in the Netherlands. Why is the work of significance? It reflects a growing interest among researchers (and to a lesser degree the green consumer) about the impact of human travel on the environment using new methodological tools to measure the carbon footprint of such activity. Any researchers who have studied the sustainable tourism literature will know that much of the work in this area is based on specific segments of the market or specific forms of travel. In contrast, this study is a country-based study providing a synthesis of the situation for Dutch travellers. Whilst it is only a summary report of 43 pages in length in English it makes a substantial contribution to knowledge in terms of being a macro, national study that established an important benchmark for other countries to follow.

Here is a clear example where the short length of the report does not detract from its message: in this instance it is focused, direct and covers the bare bones well. In essence it is about how Dutch tourism is performing in terms of carbon consumption. It provides an excellent series of insights that make fascinating reading with current data and interpretation. The study is structured around the following five research questions:

1.

What is the total carbon footprint of Dutch holidaymakers and what are the developments of this carbon footprint?

2.

How does the holiday carbon footprint relate to the total carbon footprint of the Netherlands?

3.

What factors determine the development of this carbon footprint?

4.

What type of holidays and which parts of tourism are the least/most damaging to the environment?

5.

What is the eco-efficiency of different types of holidays?

Many of these research questions have been addressed across the academic literature in both tourism and environmental management in different tourism settings but rarely in such a comprehensive manner focusing on one country. This makes this an important publication which is accompanied by a glossary of terms and abbreviations for the non-specialist reader. The report explains what types of data were collected, how it was analysed and modelled.

What the research shows is that in 2009, 7.9% of the total Dutch carbon footprint is attributed to tourism. Calculations in the report for domestic and international holidays (short and long-haul) raise many questions about the impact of these forms of travel on the environment in relation to the carbon emissions. What the report demonstrates is that these types of calculations and figures will become more commonplace in our future everyday lives as our understanding of carbon foot-printing and the cost of human activity becomes integral to our environmental thinking. As this cascades down from academics and policy-makers to the wider public then reports such as this will be better understood and become more widely debated aside from the more environmentally-conscious travellers who are interested in these themes.

Other innovative features of this report include the analysis of eco-efficiency (i.e. the carbon footprint of a holiday compared to holiday spending). The analysis by trip type and destination highlights the implications of eco-debates for domestic and outbound tourism (including modal travel type). The discussion of trends in the carbon footprint of holidaymakers 2002–2009 indicates that Dutch CO2 emissions have decreased by 3.1% while holiday emissions increased by 16.5%. This is alongside a growth in greater total travel distances and a small increase in the volume of holidays. The report identifies the holidays with the greatest and least environmental impact. The results do have important implications for policy-makers with the planned introduction of an Emissions Trading Scheme in Europe in 2011.

Such a study should be essential reading for policy-makers and the tourism industry so they begin to understand what impacts tourism has at a macro level. It also provides a different perspective on the sustainability debate alongside government policies to promote and develop tourism because it shows what types of tourism or market segments are the least/most environmentally damaging in terms of emissions. This is a must read for anyone interested in sustainable tourism and points to the most appropriate forms of tourism to promote to achieve a more environmentally-focused form of tourism. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this report which is written in a scientific manner for a wider audience than a journal article. It is very user-friendly and is well targeted at its intended audiences.

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