Study highlights need for tourism industry to curb emissions: Yellowstone case shows travel’s big footprint

A new study has underscored the significant role the tourism industry needs to play in reducing carbon emissions to meet global climate goals. Researchers focusing on Yellowstone National Park in western United States as a case study found the park generates more than one megatonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually.

Led by researchers from Quinney College of Natural Resources and the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, the paper was published in the journal PLOS Climate on April 3, 2024. The researchers utilised available data to compile a record of carbon emissions resulting from a year of tourist visits to the park. 

Yellowstone is the US’s first national park. Between 2015 and 2019, it received over four million visitors each year, mostly during the summer, the study stated.

The park covers a vast area of 8,991 square kilometres, with 727 km of roads and approximately 1,609 km of hiking trails. Because of its remote location and large size, visitors typically travel long distances to reach the park and cover significant distances driving within it.

In 2021, approximately 2,141,076 people made individual trips to the park, the paper said.

The researchers’ estimation revealed that recreational visits to the park generate a staggering 1.03 megatonnes of CO2 each year, equating to an average of 479 kilogrammes per visitor. To put this in perspective, global average CO2 emissions per person were 4,600 kg in 2019 and 14,700 kg for United States residents, the paper said. 

While the park itself contributes minimally (only 1 per cent from operations), travel to and from it is the major culprit, responsible for a whopping 90 per cent of emissions. Interestingly, the study revealed that although only 35 per cent of visitors travel to Yellowstone by aeroplane, flights contribute a disproportionate share (72 per cent) of the travel emissions. 

It is important to note that despite emissions from tourism, Yellowstone NP likely absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits, making it a net carbon sink. However, this may not be the case for smaller parks with high visitor numbers. 

The research suggested that reducing emissions in the tourism industry hinges on a shift in travel behaviour. Strategies could include encouraging more local visitors, promoting alternative modes of transportation like trains or buses and incentivising the use of fuel-efficient vehicles. 

Because transit to and from the destination generates the most emissions, the most effective CO2 emission-reduction strategies focus on transit to and from Yellowstone. 

The authors also emphasised that this research was not a comprehensive policy analysis, acknowledging that nature-based tourism brings personal and social benefits to travellers and boosts the economies of various regions, particularly in the western United States.

But while states actively promote outdoor recreation and tourism, it’s important to acknowledge the environmental costs, particularly CO2 emissions, which account for 8 per cent of global emissions, they underlined. 

Quantifying CO2 emissions from nature-based tourism offers a methodological approach applicable to other park destinations, the paper said.

By focusing on well-known national parks like Yellowstone, the researchers aimed to engage a broad audience in discussions about tourism’s impact on climate change and strategies for mitigation, such as altering visitor demographics or implementing fuel-efficient vehicle regulations.

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