Carbon footprints of travel to World Heritage Sites: communicating climate to potential tourists through a consumption-based life-cycle assessment

In this study, an input-output-based hybrid life cycle assessment method is used to calculate the carbon footprint of a tourist’s travel to sixteen United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites (WHS) including direct and indirect emissions. The carbon footprint of three trip styles (budget, mid-range expenses, and high-end) is calculated for each WHS, reflecting options available to heritage tourists. This study is part of a more extensive study that created a climate communication recognition scheme (CCRS) for UNESCO WHS to communicate information about climate change to potential tourists and heritage site managers, elaborating and extending upon communication tools such as environmental product information schemes, certifications, and ecolabels. The results are intended for educational purposes and contribute to a holistic approach to carbon management in heritage tourism. The results are available online as an ArcGIS StoryMap titled Climate Footprints of Heritage Tourism.