The "carbon footprint" of tourism is being calculated
The Rector of Cappadocia University, Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar, stated that after the initiation of the efforts, more than half of the over 22,000 accommodation facilities in Turkey have started to meet the criteria.
In his statement to İhlas News Agency, Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar mentioned that the World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “Tourism that fully accounts for its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities.” He said, "The name of this project is actually the Turkish Sustainable Tourism Criteria and Program. This program is carried out through the TGA and our Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Cappadocia University provides consultancy services on this matter. The goal is to conduct tourism activities without harming the natural and historical beauties. More importantly, it aims to record issues such as carbon footprint and water consumption, for businesses to monitor and gradually reduce them.”
Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar emphasized that Turkey is a water-stressed country and said, “Our water resources are very precious to us, and their registered use in tourism is essential. Since Turkey is a part of the Paris Agreement, we are striving to achieve zero carbon by 2050. Our government has significant efforts in this regard. Thanks to our minister, the tourism sector has been one of the first worldwide to take steps in this direction.”
Highlighting that Turkey is one of the countries with the most sustainable hotels in Europe, Karasar said, “We must congratulate our tourism and accommodation sectors. Since these criteria were published, they have adapted themselves in the quickest way. Currently, more than half of the over 22,000 accommodation facilities in Turkey are seriously monitoring, documenting, and taking significant steps to reduce their carbon footprints, water consumption, and all sustainability criteria. In the accommodation sector, it is expected that between 20 to 40 liters of water is consumed per room daily. With various solutions in tourism, these levels can get very high. This can lead to meaningless and unnecessary consumption in water-stressed regions.”
Anasayfa
Web.tv
