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Identifying Critical Paths and Drivers of Carbon Emissions From Tourism: An Integrated Analysis Toward Sustainable Tourism

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  • Ting Tan
  • Zihan Chen
  • Rong Ma
  • Lamei He
  • Jianping Zha

Abstract

Given the highly fragmented structure and strong industrial linkages of the tourism industry, exploring the flow and drivers of carbon transfer is critical for sustainable tourism. This study combines the environmentally extended input–output (EEIO) model with structural decomposition analysis (SDA) and structural path analysis (SPA) to identify the key sectors, paths, and drivers of carbon emissions from tourism. Taking China as a case, the results show that: (1) China's tourism carbon emissions grew from 34.68 Mt. in 2002 to 137.87 Mt. in 2019, with road transport (22.58%), food and beverage services (21.10%), shopping (20.52%), and air transport (14.91%) constituting the primary emitters. (2) Critical supply chain path “source sector → tourism‐related sectors → final demand” spurring carbon growth of tourism primarily centers on the tourism‐related sectors associated with road transport, air transport, food and beverage services, and shopping, where the source sectors mainly come from energy and food supply, manufacturing, transportation, and logistics sectors. (3) Despite considerable sectoral and path‐level heterogeneity, the key driver for inhibiting tourism carbon emissions is direct energy intensity, while final demand remains the main obstacle to low‐carbon tourism. In addition to the limited effect of energy restructuring, the promising role of optimizing the supply of intermediate goods in cubing tourism carbon emissions is revealed. Finally, relevant theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Ting Tan & Zihan Chen & Rong Ma & Lamei He & Jianping Zha, 2025. "Identifying Critical Paths and Drivers of Carbon Emissions From Tourism: An Integrated Analysis Toward Sustainable Tourism," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 3525-3553, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:3525-3553
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3286
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