Contribution by Graeme Worboys, PhD Scholar, Sustainable Tourism CRC, Griffith University, Australia,2004

New Zealand
New Zealand research (Becken et al 2003) demonstrates the nature of energy consumption by tourism at a national level. Tourism contributes to about 6% of national CO2 emissions. New Zealand Tourism is the sixth greatest user of energy for the nation after basic metal products; household consumption; transport and storage; mining and quarrying. This included the energy cost of international visitors travelling an average 23,000 kilometres return to New Zealand and travelling an average of 1,950 kilometres while in New Zealand.

In New Zealand, the total energy consumed for tourism transport and accommodation was split into road transport (43%); air travel (42%); sea transport (2%); rail transport (1%); with accommodation comprising 22%. For travel styles, coach tourism consumed the greatest energy per day, followed by camper tourists, soft comfort; auto tourist; backpacker; visit-friends-and-relatives and gateway only.

New Zealand government's response to this consumption have included an energy efficiency analysis; athree-year funded programme on tourist travel patterns and energy use; a New Zealand Tourism Industry Association campaign for industry certification; andcertified energy consumption baseline performance through Green Globe 21 and carbon off-setting schemes.

Australia
For Australia, work by Sustainable Tourism CRC (2001) estimated that tourism would be responsible for greenhouse gas emissions of 41.7 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2008, approximately 10% of Australia’s total emissions. Approximately 20% of this will be generated by accommodation, attractions and airports. The majority, or 80%, from tourist travel.

Some tourism companies have decided to target energy consumption and have benefited from this. Binna Burra Mountain Lodge, a small eco-lodge located near the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage Area at Lamington National Park, undertook the Green Globe 21 environmental certification programme. Following successful certification, it found that it had achieved a major reduction in the use of energy, had reduced its annual CO2 emissions by 189 tonnes per year, and realised savings of AU$15,000.