Without a pinch of sustainability, it is not possible: The Berlin International Tourism Exchange (ITB) promotes adventure and sports travel as the “most natural way to travel.” The annual trade fair of the tourism industry in the German capital began on Tuesday. On a tour around the grounds, trade visitors could inform themselves, among other things, about how tourist destinations worldwide are adapting to the consequences of climate change.
Is the travel industry ecologically up to date? Although sustainability appears in the three-day program of the fair here and there, the transport researcher Andreas Knie from the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) does not see climate-friendly travel adequately represented at the ITB.
Knie argues: Germany must be a role model on this issue. Vacations and travel remain very harmful to the climate. In the Federal Republic, traffic is responsible for about one third of greenhouse gases, with roughly half of that due to travel.
The climate impact of a vacation, in turn, depends heavily on the type of travel, explains Jakob Graichen, energy and climate researcher at the Öko-Institut. Clearly: a long-haul flight with an overnight stay in a large hotel creates more greenhouse gases than a bicycle tour with camping nights. The biggest difference is whether one flies or not, Graichen notes. “Vacation is highly individual, which is why the climate impact is likewise highly individual.”
The Biggest Climate Killers When on Vacation
“Flying is by a very large margin Climate Killer Number One,” also emphasizes Andreas Knie. Flying causes immense CO2 emissions through the burning of aviation fuel kerosene and also the contrails.
Nevertheless, Germany has again reached 85 percent of air traffic of the pre-pandemic era, explains the transport researcher. Business flights have fallen significantly – but the number of flights in the tourism sector has risen by over 100 percent. Moreover, only about 10 percent of Germans fly regularly, Knie adds — so the high climate impact of air travel is due to a relatively small, comparatively affluent portion of the population.
The solution: Flights must be scaled back. “Every avoided flight is good for the climate,” says Jakob Graichen as well.
Far-distant destinations, however, are only reachable without flying in exceptional cases; climate-friendly long-haul travel is difficult, Graichen says. The Federal Environment Agency therefore recommends questioning travel destinations – even in Europe there are beautiful destinations, and bus and rail are the more climate-friendly alternative here.
Climate Killer Number Two: Cruise Ships
In second place among the most climate-damaging travel means are cruise ships. In the EU, ships of a certain size must report their emissions to the authorities — since 2024, in addition to CO2, also methane and nitrous oxide. Depending on the shipping company, greenhouse gas intensities would differ significantly, explains Raija Koch, transport representative at NABU. For a seven-day cruise in the Mediterranean, for example, the CO2 emissions per passenger per cruise range between 400 and 2,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents, depending on the ships’ efficiency.
“Even a single trip of one week can thus exceed the entire possible annual budget of CO2 emissions for one person,” Koch emphasizes. The cruise industry even forecasts an increase in passengers. According to the international cruise association CLIA, there were nearly 35 million in 2024 — around 42 million are expected in 2028.
Koch stresses that cruise ships not only burden the climate but also the rest of the environment. Many ships still run on harmful but cost-effective heavy fuel oil. Sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and fine dust from the engines pollute the air and acidify waters. This also endangers human health — especially for coastal residents.
Another climate killer in tourism: the ski holiday. For WWF Germany, there is no truly environmentally friendly skiing. The construction and operation of ski resorts harm nature and the environment. Large forested areas would have to be cleared and leveled.
Ski Tourists Suffer from the Climate Crisis – and Fuel It
“For ski areas and the infrastructure that goes with them, gigantic areas are necessary,” explains Martina von Münchhausen, tourism expert at WWF Germany. Habitats of the animals living there would be destroyed. The consequence: the risk of avalanches, landslides, and floods would rise.
Already, climate change means there is not enough snow for the slopes. Ski holidays therefore “suffer” from the crisis they themselves fuel, says von Münchhausen. In the past 100 years, the average temperature in the Alps has risen by 2 degrees Celsius, according to WWF. Therefore, more and more ski runs must be artificially snowed — which in turn consumes water, energy, and money.
The main problem, however, is the arrival and departure of ski tourists. Almost all would come to the ski areas by car, explains the tourism expert. The Alps would be overwhelmed by “car avalanches.” Of about 50 million visitors, only 5 percent arrive by train.
Iran War Casts a Shadow Over Tourism
Airlines, cruise operators, and ski-tourism companies are prominently represented at ITB. The fair is nevertheless also overshadowed by geopolitical questions that affect many of its participants: Against the backdrop of the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran, ITB states that it is in close contact with its international partners and exhibitors.
Tourists feel the effects of the war in the meantime. Cruise ships of the German company TUI Cruises are stuck in the region’s ports. It still has to be clarified whether and when return flights will be possible, according to their website. Around 30,000 German tourists are currently stranded, reported the German Travel Association on Sunday — either in the Gulf region or at places from which flights operate via local airports. This count only includes package travelers. How many individuals who booked independently are affected is unknown.
Many flights have been canceled since Saturday. On Tuesday morning, the first Emirates aircraft from Dubai to Frankfurt am Main took off. The United Arab Emirates are offering special flights for the stranded passengers.
A forecast of the consequences of the war on international tourism in the coming months cannot yet be made, Albin Loidl, president of the German Travel Association, explained ahead of the fair on Monday.
