Today's Article (25/8/2025)
Do heatwaves, wildfires and travel costs signal the end of the holiday abroad?
Warm weather is melting snow that keeps Alpine ski resorts alive. Coastal erosion is stripping sand from southern European beaches. Droughts are forcing Spanish hotels to ship in fresh water as swimming pools lie empty, while wildfires are setting scenic Greek islands ablaze.
In academic circles, Gössling is best-known for studies that put numbers on the growing carbon footprint of tourism (8.8% of planet-heating pollution) and the inequality in aviation emissions (only 2-4% of people fly abroad in a given year). His finding that 1% of the world population are responsible for half the emissions from air transport has underlined activists’ calls for governments to make premium and business travel a priority.
Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. – Anton Chekhov