RT News: Latest Developments in Responsible Tourism 02/25

February 2025 

1. Aviation: SAF, Hydrogen, Airbus ZEROe delay
2. Climate Change
3. Market Trends
4. Changing Tourist Behaviour 
5. Overtourism
6. STRs - short-term rentals 
7. Tourism Tax & Levies 
8. Wildlife 
9. Cruise
10. Miscellany 

RT News is a "newsletter of record" covering the most critical Responsible Tourism stories of the month. Please forward this to those you think may be interested – you can register to receive this regularly using the box on the right. Submit news: email harold@haroldgoodwin.info

For entry forms  For categories and criteria,

The six categories for 2025
Responsible All-Inclusive?                              Adapting To Climate Change
Increasing Local Sourcing - Creating Shared Value   Peace and Understanding
Managing Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Upcycle   Nature Positive
Closing Dates: Latin America 11 April, Southeast Asia 28th April, Europe 23 May, Inida sub-continent 30 June All Gold regional winners are entered into the Global Awards

Blogs and Interviews
Meaningful Travel Matters
Who manages a destination?
Sustainable and Resilient Tourism requires that we take responsibility
Neo-liberalism cannot deliver emissions reductions – effective regulation is essential

Harold Goodwin has launched two new ten-week distance learning professional-level courses on implementing Responsible Tourism and Addressing Overtourism. A course on Creating Shared Value will follow in the autumn. Full details

The 2022 Responsible Tourism Charter points out that responsibility drives sustainability, lists the most significant issues that need to be addressed, and asserts the importance of transparent reporting to demonstrate what is being achieved and avoid greenwashing. Responsible Tourism is about using tourism to make better places for people to live and visit. How can we “do tourism better”?

1. Aviation: SAF, Hydrogen, Airbus ZEROe delay
Damian Carrington, The Guardian's environment editor, reported that critics accuse the ICAO of being captured by the industry. The UN’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) is closed to the public and the media.  ICAO does not routinely make its meeting documents freely available, instead charging hundreds of dollars for password-protected copies. Neither the media nor the public can attend CAEP conferences, and observer delegates are required to sign non-disclosure agreements that incur “unlimited financial liability”. ICAO forecasts a doubling of passenger numbers by 2042 it is hard to see how fuel efficiency can be increased to hold emissions level, let alone to reduce them
A record number of passengers flew in 2024, with a load factor of 83.2%, a record high.  However, long-haul travel to Europe is declining in part due to affordability. 
SAF: There is insufficient SAF "to make a dent in our emissions – and there won’t be for years". Wastefront is opening a plant at Port of Sunderland in a project supported by BA and Aer Lingus owner, International Airlines Group, to process waste tyres.
In the UK the government's Climate Change Committee (CCC) has included international aviation and shipping for the first time in its latest report, warning that growth in aviation demand should be managed “through ensuring that the cost of decarbonising aviation is reflected in the price of flying”. The CCC reports that aviation accounted for 8% of UK emissions in 2023, but that in 2040 it will be 27%, because of emissions reduction in other sectors.
AIRBUS has announced that it will take longer than it had hoped to develop a large passenger aircraft powered by hydrogen; it may be a further ten years to the 2040s. "Hydrogen has the potential to be a transformative energy source for aviation,” Airbus said in a statement. “However, we recognise that developing a hydrogen ecosystem—including infrastructure, production, distribution and regulatory frameworks—is a huge challenge requiring global collaboration and investment.”   Airbus's Next Generation Single Aisle plane is expected to be delivered on time in 2035, with a 25% gain in fuel efficiency.
Zero-emission aviation continues to advance. The Climate Impulse project aims to fly a two-seater aircraft around the world for nine days in 2028. Video Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) is planning to launch the Airlander 50, "Flying Bum", in 2033, with a 50-tonne payload, enough room in its 30-metre cabin for six shipping containers and a capacity of up to 200 passengers. Carrying its maximum load, its range remains 2200 km.
Hydrogen: a team of South Korean scientists has developed a means of producing H from water using microwaves with a 75% reduction in thermal energy. The HYBRIT initiative,  launched in 2016 by owners SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall, with the aim of developing the world's first fossil-free, ore-based iron- and steelmaking using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen gas, has demonstrated that it is technically possible to store fossil-free hydrogen gas for producing fossil-free iron and steel on an industrial scale. This can also reduce the variable operating costs of hydrogen production by up to 40 per cent.
Operational Efficiency: Delta & Airbus have demonstrated that aircraft flying together in formation, like geese, can cut emissions by 5% per trip, according to test reports by NASA.
Lata brought together a panel to discuss the issues.
Gary Noakes in the TTG asks "How can travel continue to grow while reducing its environmental impact?"
UK aviation emissions increased by 15.5% to 35 million tonnes last year, and continued growth is planned. Reducing contrails may be part of the answer. But Rob Griggs, Airlines UK’s policy and public affairs director, described its relationship with the CCC as “constructive”, saying it had spelled out its pathway to net zero “even as we continue to grow to meet demand”. “We’ll achieve this through scaling up sustainable fuels, modernising our airspace and introducing zero-emission flight technologies,” he said. It will mean higher ticket prices

2. Climate Change
As if more evidence of climate change was required, the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion was bit by a cyclone with winds of 230km/h. The videos demonstrate how destructive global warming-fueled storms can be.  January broke the January 2024 record by a further 0.1ºC; 1.75ºC higher than the late C19th average. This January was expected to be cooler as the El Niño weather pattern gave way to  La Niña.
The UN deadline for countries to submit their emissions-cutting plans, seven of the 10 world’s largest economies missed the deadline. More than 170 countries failed to file  “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs), adding to concerns about the world’s continuing commitment to keep warming well below 2ºC. Trump has already started the process of leaving the Paris Agreement, and Argentina, Russia, and New Zealand have indicated that they would like to follow suit. more 

Neo-liberalism cannot deliver emissions reductions – effective regulation is essential
Countries and major companies are quietly abandoning climate commitments. In August 2024, Forbes published an article titled “Why Big Corporations Are Quietly Abandoning Their Climate Commitments?“ Mitigation is not delivering; our species is continuing to cause climate change. For the last decade or so, the emphasis has shifted to mitigation and adaptation. If the international rule-based system collapses, and it is in a perilous condition, then adaptation is the strategy we all need to adopt as we beggar our neighbours.

Our window to act on climate change is like watching a child grow up - you blink, and you miss it. Watch the video. 

3. Market Trends
The European Travel Commission and Eurail BV. Long-Haul Travel Barometer 1/2025, while 63% of respondents across key markets plan long-haul trips, only 44% aim to visit Europe, down from 49% in 2024. Affordability remains the most significant barrier. Overtourism: one-third of respondents would visit at quieter times, 28% would proceed despite long queues, and 25% would explore less crowded areas. Only 5% would change destinations entirely, underlining the need for better crowd management and promotion of alternative destinations. The destination selection criteria reveal that "safe to visit" (45%) and "must-see world-renowned sites" (40%) top the table, "not crowded" is selected by only 14%. "On average, long-haul travellers are looking to visit 3.4 countries, with South Korean travellers leading the trend, aiming to visit an average of 5.2 countries per trip." more
VisitBritain is warning that " a barrage of higher taxes – including VAT, air passenger duty, and the end of tax-free shopping for tourists – will lead to fewer people choosing to holiday here. Although many inbound tourists do not need a visa, many do, and £115 for the UK, £40 more than for an EU Schengen visa. The UK does not competitively price against a range of cities.
As Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, has pointed out "“Travellers care about sustainability, but when buying travel, cost and quality are king. Customers expect businesses to create affordable, sustainable options. But many WTTC companies inspire change – whether that is regrowing coral reefs or reducing food waste. Customers engage with brands that have strong values.” Recent research from the University of Surrey reminds us that when we bombard consumers "with claims and metrics, many begin to suspect that hotels are merely engaging in greenwashing—presenting a false image of environmental responsibility to boost their appeal. The overwhelming flood of sustainability information often leaves consumers feeling confused and misled. ... The study identifies two key issues: the fine line between informative communication and information overload and the need for hotels to align their sustainability messaging with consumer expectations. "
Surrey's report on "Messaging strategies and tactics to positively influence traveller behaviour. " has very useful advice for marketing.

They advise: "Appealing to pleasure and comfort can be effective ways to frame messaging. Done right, such messages can remind guests that a more sustainable experience can be just as enjoyable and comforting as they’d hoped for from their trip. But appeals to pleasure need to be used sparingly to avoid increasing guest scepticism – even if the message is factually accurate.  Download the research report; it has real practical value.

Kerala enjoyed a 21% increase on pre-pandemic arrivals. The K-Homes project will increase accommodation for tourists by using unoccupied homes near major destinations. It will be implemented initially at Kovalam, Kumarakom, Munnar and Fort Kochi, offering tourists a comfortable stay and a hands-on feel of local culture and cuisine.

4. Changing Tourist Behaviour 

Broadly, two approaches are being tried: education and regulation.
Education: The Big Issue ran an article, "Overtourism: How to be a responsible tourist, Postcards from regions impacted by overtourism". The Times of India published an article titled "Scroll, shame, repeat: The new era of online travel awareness," discussing the way in which an environment has been created where personal choices about travel are "constantly evaluated and shared, often leading to pressures to conform to certain ideal so expectations." "Our attention is being diverted from genuine events to carefully managed "reel" moments by social media."
Country Living  offered advice to its readers about "how not to be part of the problem". We should be choosing our holidays more wisely, with an eye for places and peoples that need our tourist spend more. We should also be choosing destinations, types of holidays and forms of travel, such as no-fly options and rail journeys, that ensure that our money goes to local workers and communities rather than global chains and corporates. ... this ...will only serve to enhance our travel experiences: locals will be more welcoming because we are contributing to their quality of life, while supporting small native business will counter the homogenisation of so many places around the world..."

Regulation: Public Decency
Beach wardens in Rostock, Germany, now have the authority to ask visitors wearing clothes to leave designated nudist beaches. "The regulation is not intended to force people to undress but to allow nudists to feel at ease without judgment from clothed tourists. Additionally, visitors must adhere to specific etiquette on nudist beaches, which includes refraining from taking photos, avoiding prolonged staring, not making unsolicited comments, and maintaining a respectful distance from others."
Albufeira, Portugal, is proposing to introduce new decency rules enforceable through fines. Measures, currently under public consultation, propose banning individuals from wearing swimwear such as bikinis and shorts in public spaces, with violators facing hefty fines of up to €1,500. " For "complete nudity in public spaces, fines could reach €1,800. Even terraces visible from public areas are included in the scope of these regulations, highlighting the city’s commitment to maintaining a certain standard of public decency." Public sexual acts,  public drinking, urination, and defecation are also targeted. Barcelona introduced a similar swimwear ban in 2011, limiting beach attire to coastal areas and fining violators up to €300. Dubrovnik also implemented rules to regulate public behaviour.

Regulation: Safety
The surge in visitors to Mount Etna has put a strain on local authorities and rescue teams as visitors disregard and breach the rules:  tourists are required to stay at least 500 meters away from the lava flow and must be accompanied by trained guides to mitigate any risks. As TTW points out, "The increasing frequency of extreme weather events and natural disasters will only highlight the need for tourism industries worldwide to focus on safety, preparedness, and responsible travel practices."

5. Overtourism

• Palma City Council wants to limit guided groups to 20 people, a massive cut to the up to 70 currently allowed. The average group size is currently between 30 and 50. if a limit of 20 is imposed, tour prices will "rocket, meaning tourists will simply stop booking tours or find they have nothing left to spend with other businesses."
  
• Japan sets a goal to reach 60 million visitors by 2030, up from 36 million in 2024, despite overtourism concerns. Counter measures are being taken across the island nation. These include tourist fees at a Mount Fuji trail said to be “screaming” with visitors, payment at the famous red “floating” torii shrine of Itsukushima, bans on geisha photographers in certain Kyoto neighbourhoods, and preventative screens to prevent jaywalking at popular instragrammable spots. ... at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which was forced to introduce online ticketing and longer opening hours to better manage visitor numbers. Overall, 30% of visitors said they had experienced overcrowding, according to research by the Japan Tourism Board Foundation and the country’s Development Bank."
• In Venice, the progressive reorientation of the parking infrastructure toward the demands of visitors reduces residents’ opportunities to secure parking. Despite the emergence of a kaleidoscope of coping tactics, these difficulties hinder the accessibility and convenience of “faster” and longer-range mobilities for locals who are incrementally left stuck in a tourist city, facing constant material and emotional pressure, unattractive job opportunities, diminishing services and a diluting social structure.
• Santorini "dozens of illegal pools and hot tubs in hotels have been discovered inspections also revealed unauthorised extensions to cave-style rooms and illegal auxiliary spaces,
• Ghent plans to use "spreading" to tackle overtourism, encourage visits to under-visited areas, open more hotels outside the historic core and encourage cycling.

6. STRs - short-term rentals

• As Travel and Tour World points out beneath the headline “Spain’s Beloved Malaga Sees Alarming Drop in Holiday Rentals as Protests and Overtourism Controversies Escalate”. “It is important to note that these figures only reflect licensed tourist apartments, as unregistered rentals—estimated to account for as many as 40% of Malaga’s holiday homes—are not included in official statistics, according to the Spanish government... In addition to the decline in bookings, the number of officially registered holiday apartments also dropped by 11,441 in 2024, sparking concerns about the rise of illegal rental properties.”
•  Gwynedd, north-west Wales, recently introduced a requirement to obtain planning permission to turn residential properties into second homes or holiday lets. It charges a 150% council tax premium on such properties, increased from 100% in 2023. House prices have dropped 12% year on year but there may be a number of reasons for the fall: interest rates, regional job opportunities, interventions in the local housing market by a council and the number of transactions can all impact house prices.
• Airbnb reports revenue of more than $11 billion, with adjusted earnings up 11% year-on-year to $4 billion. “Since our 2020 IPO, our revenue and gross booking value (GBV) have tripled, and in 2024, we successfully outpaced the travel industry’s growth. "
• Ibiza’s local government has announced a partnership with Airbnb to crack down on illegal tourist accommodations. The initiative, described as “historic” and “unprecedented,” was signed on 20 February by Ibiza’s Island Council, Airbnb, and Ibizan tourist accommodation associations. The collaboration aims to eliminate holiday rentals that “operate on the margins of legality” while ensuring that all tourist accommodations comply with local regulations.  Under the new rules, Airbnb will remove listings that do not comply with local regulations and require hosts to provide valid registration numbers before listing properties. Ibiza’s Island Council has also set up an online portal on its website, allowing residents and visitors to verify whether accommodations, rental companies, and tour guides are legally registered. Meanwhile, the council has pledged to increase inspections and enforcement efforts, with fines for unlicensed rentals potentially reaching €400,000. Property owners found operating illegally may also face legal action.

7. Tourism Tax & Levies

• Bali is considering introducing a daily tourism tax amid concerns about mass tourism and unruly visitors

Venice is to charge €10 entry fee for daytrippers in 2025. "The entry fee will now apply on 54 high-traffic days between April and July, up from 29 days in the previous year. The specific dates include a continuous period from April 18 to May 4, followed by every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from May through July. Visitors without overnight reservations present in the city between 8:30 am. and 4:00 pm. on these dates are subject to the fee. To reserve an entry and pay the fee, would-be Venice visitors must visit this website. Visitors who book their trips at least four days in advance will benefit from a reduced entry fee of €5. However, certain groups are exempt from the charge altogether. These exemptions include overnight guests, residents, students, and individuals visiting relatives within the city. The system ensures that those who contribute more directly to the local economy, such as overnight tourists, are not unduly burdened."

• Catalonia is also raising levies and taxes. Visitors will be charged between €1.20 and €6 per day, depending on their accommodation. But in Barcelona, an overtourism hotspot, the new taxes will start at an extra €2 per day for campsite guests and rise up to €7 for those spending the night at a five-star establishment. Some visitors could find themselves paying an additional €15 per night.
• Ryanair has announced it is scrapping its flights to Aalborg and Billund in Denmark in response to what it calls a “short-sighted” and “harmful” decision by Danish authorities to introduce an aviation tax.
  

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8. Wildlife 

•  Scientists might finally have found a conclusive solution to drive sharks away. The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), a squid-like marine animal that feeds on small fish and crustaceans, appears to produce a natural shark repellent. Cuttlefish secrete a dark ink when threatened, which effectively deters sharks. This could provide a groundbreaking solution to human-shark conflicts while ensuring the conservation of these vital marine predators.
• New Zealand’s Blue Lake, the world’s clearest freshwater lake, is under threat from the invasive algae Lindavia, commonly known as ‘lake snot.’ Tourists visiting Nelson Lakes National Park have been asked to wipe their shoes before entering Lake Rotomairewhenua, which ed by the glacial waters of Lake Constance, is a sacred site. It was first discovered by the Maori iwi, Ngati Apa, who considered it a place of great spiritual significance.

9. Cruise

• In Barcelona cruisers whose boats are docked in Barcelona will be required to pay up to €6, and those on cruises that stay for more than 24 hours will face tourist charges of €4 per night. In 2024, Catalonia brought in around €90 million from its regional tourist tax policies. The increases are set to raise that income to an anticipated €200 million annually. Authorities have promised 25% of that will go towards housing.
• In Nice a decision to ban cruise ships "over  190m long and with a capacity exceeding 900 passengers banned from docks in Nice and its eastern neighbour Villefranche-sur-Mer from 1 July 2025. The revised plan allows one ship accommodating up to 2,500 people to be docked Villefranche-sur-Mer, but no more than 65 o annually. At the docks in Nice only cruise ships carrying 450 passengers or fewer will be permitted to dock. The changes were made in order “to reconcile the issues of public health, environmental protection and support for the local economy... ”

10 Miscellany 

• B Corp Dr Bronners is the top-selling soap in the US natural marketplace.  The company has walked away from B Corp Certification. "The increasing certification of multinationals including Unilever Australia and Nespresso in 2022 followed by Nestle Health Sciences in 2023 demonstrated that B Lab is not committed to protecting the integrity of the B Corp Certification and movement, nor ensuring that the certification won’t be used to mislead consumers. Sharing the same logo and messaging regarding being of ‘benefit’ to the world with large multinational CPG companies with a history of serious ecological and labor issues, and no comprehensive or credible eco-social certification of supply chains, is unacceptable to us."
• Responsible Travel has published a rebuttal of 10 myths about RT. Taking a responsible holiday doesn’t need to be about paying a lot of money to stay off-grid on a remote deserted island.
• Samoa has adopted new standards to phase out single-use plastic, develop marine wildlife viewing guidelines and guidelines for environmental audits of accommodation
• Indonesian authorities have ordered the suspension of a controversial tourism project linked to Trump due to environmental concerns. The large-scale development, located in Gunung Gede Pangrango, has faced mounting criticism over its impact on local ecosystems and water management issues.
• Ireland
  has repurposed railway lines into scenic cycling and walking trails; transitioned to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for the boat rental sector on the River Shannon;  restored  peat bogs to sequester carbon and restore wildlife. Tourism Ireland measures its sustainability success through an innovative “revenue per carbon footprint” metric,  prioritizing long-term stays and meaningful engagement with local communities over short-haul, high-impact visits. By attracting eco-conscious travelers who contribute to the local economy while reducing emissions, Ireland is redefining sustainable tourism.

Lata brought together a panel to discuss child protection and safeguarding in tourism.

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