This is how the Germans travel
As the Statista platform shows, around 48 million people went on vacation trips of at least five days in 2021. This corresponds to an increase of five percent compared to the previous year – and that despite the fact that the corona pandemic has seen a sharp decline in travelers for both intra-European travel and long-distance travel. The average travel time among all travelers in 2021 was around eleven days and the most frequently used means of transport for vacation trips was the car or motorhome at 55 percent. The aircraft is in second place with 34 percent. Before Corona, in 2019, the proportion of trips planned by plane was still around 43 percent.
How harmful to the climate is the holiday really?
If you consider how many people travel every year for vacation by car, plane or other means of transport, the question arises as to how harmful vacation travel is for the climate. As Reisereporter explains, both transport, hotel and local activities play a role in the carbon footprint of a holiday. By far the most important role, however, is played by the chosen means of transport. The most environmentally friendly means of transport for a holiday is the train, as Michael Müller-Görnert from the ecological Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) explained to travel reporters.
Motorists can calculate the CO2 impact of their journey relatively accurately. The combustion of one liter of petrol releases 2.34 kilos of CO2, while one liter of diesel releases 2.65 kilos. On average, cars produce 140 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometer (a unit for the traffic control of a means of transport). With a long-distance train, this value is only between 30 and 40 grams.
Air travel is particularly harmful to the environment, averaging 201 grams per passenger kilometer. More than three quarters of the CO2 emissions of the entire holiday on a trip to the Mediterranean are due to the flight. In addition, the CO2 emissions of a flight are influenced by various factors, such as seating, load or flight profile. “The same aircraft uses twice as much kerosene per capita over 100 kilometers as over medium-haul routes,” Atmosfair physicist Dietrich Brockhagen told Reisereporter.
But the environmental impact of the accommodation should not be underestimated either, as airliners explains. Accordingly, more than 20 percent of the CO2 emissions caused by tourism can be traced back to accommodation such as hotels.
Travel more climate-friendly
According to travel reporters, each individual in Germany accounts for more than ten tons of CO2 a year. However, only around two tons per capita are climate-friendly. So it’s no wonder that some travelers are paying more attention to traveling as environmentally friendly as possible on their next vacation. Starting with choosing the right destination and traveling light, choosing the means of transport and avoiding all-inclusive hotels also contribute to sustainable travel.
E. Schmal / Editor finanzen.net
Image sources: Martin Valigursky / Shutterstock.com