Tourism is four times worse for the climate than we thought

To help stop global warming, cancel that round-the-world holiday. Tourism has expanded so rapidly that it now accounts for 8 per cent of the greenhouse gases we belch into the air. That is up to four times previous estimates.

The team’s new estimates are higher because, as well as direct emissions from air transit, they also included indirect emissions. These include emissions from food production for tourists eating lavishly while on holiday, hotel upkeep and maintenance, and souvenirs. In 2013 this added an extra 1 to 2 gigatonnes.