CO2 footprint to become ‘decisive competitive factor’ in travel – industry association

Climate action is set to play an increasingly important role in the travel industry, according to the German Travel Association (DRV). “I'm sure the CO₂ footprint will become a decisive competitive factor when it comes to travel,” the lobby group's president Norbert Fiebig told newspaper Welt. “There is no way around CO₂-neutral mobility in the future,” he added. Political action, however, is necessary to advance climate protection measures in the travel sector. “As a travel industry, we are ready for the green transformation and we take this challenge very seriously,” he continued. In the past, tour operators have emphasized their commitment to environmental and climate protection, but adopted retroactive measures such as climate certificates and CO₂ compensation. Yet Fiebig says much more needs to be done. “We need to reduce the environmental footprint across the entire travel supply chain. We have to also provide our customers with information about the ecological impact of the respective travel offers. That creates transparency. On this basis, we can then give travellers better advice and make them more aware of the need for climate protection.” The increased focus on climate protection is one of several challenges facing travel-happy Germans.

The travel industry is also grappling with the energy crisis, inflation and the effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The past year has shown that Germans’ demand for travel has clearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels. “So far this year we have seen that inflation and the high energy costs are not doing any harm to travel,” Fiebig added. “Travel is at the top of the consumer wish list for Germans." He said almost 85 percent of Germans were planning a holiday trip this year, according to a survey. "Our numbers back this up: since December, week after week, booking turnover has been higher than before corona. January was particularly busy: Compared to January 2022, sales have doubled.”