Carbon footprint of tourism in Spain: Covid-19 impact and a look forward to recovery

• Published in: Structural change and economic dynamics 2023-06, Vol.65, p.303-318
• Main Authors: Osorio, Pilar, Cadarso, María-Ángeles, Tobarra, María-Ángeles, García-Alaminos, Ángela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon emissions; Multiregional input-output model; Pandemic impact; Scenarios, Classification codes, L83, Z30, C67, D57, Q51, Q56; Tourism
• ISSN: 0954-349X; 1873-6017
• DOI: 10.1016/j.strueco.2023.03.003

•This study calculates the pandemic impact on the tourism carbon footprint in Spain.•Several scenarios assess the effect of new consumption trends on tourism emissions.•Improvements in emissions intensity in tourism sectors are also evaluated.•Carbon emissions resulting from the scenarios are compared to the mitigation goals.•Major changes in consumption patterns and efficiency are required to get on track. Tourism is very vulnerable to climate change and the disruption of Covid-19, facing two challenges: fighting climate change pursuing its carbon emissions goals, and recovering from the complex pandemic effects. We contribute to the incomplete understanding of tourism emissions pandemic impact and in different post-covid recovery scenarios. Using official data on tourists' consumption, we calculate the carbon footprint of tourism in Spain in 2019 and 2020 under different recovery pathways, including changes in consumption patterns and emissions efficiency, using a multiregional input-output model. Results show that the carbon footprint of tourism in Spain fell by 63% in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic levels, which would be aligned with the current sectoral decarbonisation target. However, the new tourists’ consumption patterns resulting from the pandemic are insufficient to increase tourism sustainability if they imply pre-pandemic consumption levels. The results provide empirical ground for the binary debate on “recovery or reform”.