Is traveling still relevant? And if so, where to? A tourism expert explains, criticizes Germans and gives some examples.
Munich – For many Germans, vacation is the highlight of the year. No matter if once, twice or three times. When traveling, the famous five is left alone. But how relevant is travel in the current debate about sustainability, climate change and alternatives? A question that tourism expert Jürgen Schmude, former professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, is also grappling with.
Tourism and sustainability hand in hand? “Germans behave schizophrenically”
Schmude particularly criticizes the Germans, who, when on vacation, overlook things that they would otherwise keep a closer eye on. “When it comes to sustainability when traveling, we behave schizophrenically. In everyday life we have a much greater awareness of sustainability than on vacation because those are “the most beautiful weeks of the year” and we don’t necessarily want to be confronted with the topic,” says Schmude in an interview with Focus Online. By the way, Germans will have spent more money on vacation in 2023 than ever before.
According to Schmude, climate change will probably only change travel behavior marginally. Germans will probably also prefer to travel to Spain and Italy. Even if the expert understands the basic need (“Vacation is a wonderful thing, both for the citizens and for the economy in the travel destinations”), he likes to classify what people can pay attention to.
Tips for ski fans and cruisers - but not everything can be implemented on vacation
Above all, changing the journey itself is important. “After all, 50 to 80 percent of emissions when traveling are caused by transport,” says Schmude. For winter sports fans, he suggests: “Ski areas are suffering more than obviously from climate change, so ski holidays will change more and more in the next few years. The snow cannons are not so much the problem, but the holidaymakers who drive to the Alps every other weekend and go skiing.”
As an alternative, he suggests: “It's better to stay for a week at a time or take the train, then you'll get a lot done.” Pictures of overcrowded parking lots or full slopes adorn most newspapers at the start of the season and everyone knows them. High-altitude ski areas such as the Zugspitze were still looking forward to fresh snow at the beginning of April, while low-altitude ski areas had to close due to the unusually high temperatures.
Cruises, a “success story for more than 20 years”: How will vacations change for German tourists?
Cruises are going in a similar direction: “We have almost two million cruisers in Germany. Cruises have been a success story for more than 20 years, even though so many people are aware of the negative impact that the heavy oil-powered giants have on the climate and the environment.” Here too, Schmude uses the German word “schizophrenic” to describe it.
The outlook is even worse on cruises. “The life cycle of cruise ships is also very long, and unfortunately they cannot be easily converted to renewable drives,” said the expert, who estimates the transformation to take “decades”. According to their own statements, the shipping companies want to take action against this, as TUI Cruises, for example, reported at the end of March. “Mein Schiff 7” is to go into service with alternative fuels. The lower-emission marine diesel should make this possible.
German tourists can already have an influence with alternatives to reach their destination
Not only skiers or cruisers should pay attention to the ecological footprint - within their means. According to Schmude, “night trains, electric cars or coaches” make a difference. Long-distance trips should last longer than two weeks. But he also points out: “There is no perfect sustainable option when traveling, we can only try to get as close to it as possible. Yes, definitely travel. But please think a little.”
The effects of climate change can already be felt worldwide at the beginning of April. 33 degrees were measured in Mallorca, there were forest fires comparatively early on the Balearic island and Greece, in Thailand there were also warnings from the authorities after extreme heat, the famous glaciers in New Zealand are melting.