LIFE09 ENV/GR/000297

Carbon Neutral Tourist

A Guide to Reduce your Carbon Footprint!

Prepared by:
CARBONTOUR: Strategic Planning Towards Carbon Neutrality in Tourism Accommodation Sector

November 2012
Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Choose to become sustainable! 4

Select your green destination 5

Going there / moving around 6

Save energy 7

Use less water 10

Avoid making waste 11

Offset emissions 13

Look for information 14

The CARBONTOUR project 15

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Introduction
Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make as low impact on the environment and local culture as
possible, while helping to generate future employment for local people, thus, bringing a positive experience for
local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves. In an era that global warming is considered a major
world threat, tourism industry has raised carbon neutrality of tourism-related activities into a priority. To this end,
hoteliers, tour operators and entrepreneurs should be guided and helped to become more carbon neutral.
Moreover, awareness of tourists and travelers needs to be raised so that they contribute and help in the carbon
neutrality policies and measures of tourism industry.
This guide offers, in a simple way, advices and guidance to tourists on how they can reduce their carbon footprint
during their stay in tourist accommodation units but also during their whole travel or vacation time.

Problem: CO2 emissions contribute to the global
warming threat
Globally, increase in the concentration of CO2 (and other
greenhouse gases) emissions in the atmosphere is
considered to be the main cause for the observed global
warming effect.
Locally, a larger-than-usual carbon footprint of an
accommodation unit could imply consumption of more
energy than actually needed, sub-optimal use of water,
production of more waste and low environmental profile.
Solution: Be responsible – Help hoteliers and the
tourism industry to respond to the climate change
threat
Nowadays, many accommodation units have initiated
policies and management schemes or implemented
measures that promote energy and water efficiency and
production of less waste and wastewater as well as
sustainability in general. It is important to help these
hoteliers and managers to meet their targets and
contribute in the protection of the environment.

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Choose to become sustainable!
Travel and tourism can be much more than simply visiting places, taking pictures and buying souvenirs.
When executed thoughtfully, visiting and spending time in a new place can inspire cultural awareness; cultivate
tolerance; create commitment to the protection of the environment. Your journey to becoming an eco-tourist
starts with an awareness that as a vital part of the global tourism industry, you, the traveller, has the power to
help transform the way the world travels.

Myth 1: Sustainability sacrifices quality and luxury of accommodation

Many hotels and accommodation units have very high standards for Myth 2: Eco-tourism is complicated
quality and luxury. They bring nature and culture within your reach,
The internet makes it easy to plan and
while still assuring your level of comfort
book responsible travel and activities

Myth 3: It is expensive Myth 4: It is only for backpackers

Responsible tours and accommodations come in a People of all interests, ages, incomes, and
range of prices, depending on the level of comfort backgrounds can become eco-tourists, and
and convenience you desire there are plenty of family-friendly options

Myth 5: It means travelling to tropical jungles and desert beaches

Eco-tourism often brings to mind images of exotic locations, but the reality is that
ecotourism opportunities and services can be found in a wide range of destinations,
and ecotourism accommodations and tour packages exist on every continent

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Select your green destination
When choosing your hotel, tour operator or other tourist service providers, select ones that have good
sustainability practices and follows a widely accepted certification scheme. Look for information on the
company's environmental initiatives, strategies and involvement in sustainable tourism programmes.
Currently, there are hundreds of certification schemes for energy efficiency, eco- or sustainable tourism. Some of
the most widely accepted can be seen below:

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Going there / moving around
Whether professional or recreational, each trip or vacation has two legs: going there and returning and moving
around (while there). Each part has its own challenges: going there is usually the most CO 2 emitting activity of a
trip, especially if performed by plane, and the most difficult to deal with; moving around can have a significant
impact only in cases of long vacations but a sufficient number of alternatives and policies that can result in the
respective CO 2 mitigation are in place.

Look for the options of a green travel

Many continental destinations are equally, if not better, served by
land and rail transportation – typically rail uses a tenth of the carbon
consumed by a plane over the same journey

Use public transport

Avoid hiring a car or using taxis to get around. You can at almost all cases use public
transport. Alternatively, use bikes or bicycles as these are healthy, low-impact options.

Choose the greenest ways to move around

Utilize alternative modes of transportation (walking, horse, camel) as much
as possible. It's a more sustainable way to get around, and also a healthier
and more enjoyable way to get to know the place you are visiting.

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Save energy
The most important source of CO 2 in an accommodation unit relates to the energy consumption – consumption
of electricity that has been produced by coal, natural gas and oil power plants, diesel, coal and wood used for
heating spaces and water, natural gas used in the kitchen, fuels for transporting provisions etc. Saving energy
during your travel and stay can benefit manifold the environment as well as the local economy.

You can make a difference by turning down the Prefer and ask for lunches that have been prepared
heating or up the air-conditioning by just one degree. mainly with local food supplies. Buy your souvenirs
By switching the TV off stand-by you can reduce its from small independent stores and support local
energy consumption by 25 per cent traders’ appliances

Close all windows and doors when the heating/air

conditioning is on
Turn off all the lights and air conditioner/heater when
you leave your room, and unplug unnecessary
appliances
Think and act like when at home – Increased
energy bills eventually increase the price and
deteriorate the level of services offered to you!
Laundry consumes almost 40 per cent of the average
hotel's energy for hot water. Be willing to use your
towels and sheets for more than one day and help
hotels reduce their energy use by at least five per cent
Take advantage of the natural light during the day –
Close the drapes/shades in a very hot or very cold day
– Use a fan instead of the air conditioning unit when
the heat is moderate

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Use less water
Excessive use of water can result in an increase of CO 2 emissions and a negative environmental impact for two
reasons: More energy and infrastructure is needed to pump/desalinate/carry and provide fresh water – especially
in insular and remote regions; more energy and infrastructure is needed to treat and deposit the excessive
wastewater.
Use the minimum amount of water needed for a shower/bath, don't let water run while shaving, brushing or
washing, and check if the hotel has a linen reuse program - if so, reuse your towels and bed sheets by placing
the card to indicate you don't wish to have them washed every day, if not, request hospitality staff not to
change them every day.

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Avoid making waste
Although waste doesn’t seem to be directly involved in CO 2 emissions, it is indirectly responsible for a large share
of the tourism industry’s CO 2 emissions. During their life cycle, and especially following their management and
disposal, waste materials can emit, apart from CO 2 , a significant amount of additional greenhouse gases like CH 4
or N 2 O which have a multiple negative effect with regard to global warming.
An informed tourist can do a lot to help reduce the daily waste from all hotel sectors:

Avoid purchasing any product that, on account of its origin,
content or shape, is harmful to the environment
Whenever possible, utilize options that do not require
batteries. Buy rechargeable batteries for your essential
travel items such as cameras, razors, and flash lights
Reuse plastic bags or pack your own cloth or string bag to
carry any purchases and bring your own water bottle
Recycle packaging material and/or used items and
appliances whenever possible. Ask and get informed
on the recycling schemes that the local authority or
the hotel itself support
Make yourself at home – similarly, serve just the
amount of food you are going to consume, use but not
waste the toiletries or other hotel consumables, think
green and help the hotel implement its objectives

A lot of energy goes into the production of the miniature soaps and Ask for the possibility to repair a broken
shampoos available in hotel bathrooms which then contribute to item/appliance instead of just discarding it.
thousands of bags of waste each year. Bring your own favourite Offer/exchange a used item/appliance for
toiletries and encourage hotels to stock refillable dispensers reuse instead of discarding it

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Offset emissions
No matter how hard one tries, there will always be a minimum unavoidable carbon footprint. A traveler or tourist
that wants to be, in absolute terms, carbon neutral can always complement his/her carbon emissions’ reduction
efforts with carbon offsetting. After calculating his/her carbon footprint, a tourist or traveler can offset his/her
emissions by contributing to credible carbon offsetting programs that support conservation, renewable energy,
and other energy saving projects.

Calculate Offset
You can find many free, reliable and easy-to-use carbon footprint Carbon offsetting is used to compensate for your emissions by
calculators in the internet. Some recommendations are: funding an equivalent CO2 saving elsewhere. Find out more about
how to reduce your emissions:
http://www.carbonzero.co.nz/EmissionsCalc/tourismeditor.aspx
http://www.crctourism.com.au/Page/Tools+and+Products/Carbo http://www.climatecare.org/home.aspx
n+Calculator.aspx http://www.carbonfund.org/individuals
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonoffset.html
and also: http://www.carbonneutral.com/carbon-offsets/
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calc
ulators/
http://www.cooltheworld.com/kidscarboncalculator.php
http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm

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Look for information
Making informed choices before and during your trip is the single most important thing you can do to become a
responsible tourist. With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your stay, while making a real difference
to the people and places you visit. When choosing destinations, accommodations, and tour operators, consider
which ones work to protect the environment and benefit local cultures and communities.

Do a little research! Ask questions!

Search the web and consult guidebooks to start your pre-trip planning.
Look for information, guidebooks and resources on responsible travel,
ecotourism, or sustainable tourism and read before booking.
Look for the certification!
Are the businesses you're considering certified? Do they have eco-
label ratings, or have they won eco-awards? Many certification
programs have been created in travel and tourism to rate the
environmental and social impacts of tourism businesses. Using
independent auditors, these programs are important tools for
distinguishing genuine ecotourism or sustainable tourism companies,
products or services. Certification programs can help travellers to
make responsible choices. A growing number of companies have
earned eco-labels, and we encourage you to purchase from these
businesses.
Check the websites of all accommodations. Let tour
operators/hotels know that you are a responsible
consumer. Before you book, ask about their social
and environmental policies. For instance: What is
your environmental policy? What percentage of
your employees are local citizens? Do you support
any projects to benefit the local community?
Read between the lines!
"Eco" is a fashionable label used widely in the
tourism industry. It sounds appealing, but much of
what is marketed as "eco" is simply conventional
tourism with superficial changes. So it's important
to check behind the labels and between the lines.

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The CARBONTOUR project
CARBONTOUR (LIFE09/ENV/GR/000297) is a co-financed project by the European financial
instrument for the Environment (LIFE+). The project is implemented in North Aegean, Greece
and in Cyprus and has a total duration of 28 months (9/2010 to 12/2012).

Partners of the CARBONTOUR project are: Region of North Aegean, National Technical
University of Athens, Energy Environment Local Development Ltd (EPTA), Cyprus Hotel Association, Mayfair Hotel
Ltd and Aeolian Village Hotel SA.

The main objective of CARBONTOUR is the evaluation of the carbon footprint of the tourism accommodation
sector. The carbon footprint evaluation has been accomplished through the development of an innovative and
robust software tool that enables the reliable determination and evaluation of the CO 2 equivalent emissions
resulting from activities such as energy consumption, waste management practices, water consumption and
wastewater treatment. The software can be found here (carbontourtool@gmail.com).

The project also involves a large-scale demonstration and dissemination campaign in North Aegean, Greece and in
Cyprus aiming to help and provide suitable tools to tourism accommodation facilities and tourists alike, thus
contributing to sustainable tourism and carbon emissions mitigation.

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