Manila: Tourism’s demand for water and energy, and carbon dioxide emission continued to rise in 2023, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

In a report released on Thursday, the PSA said the total tourism water consumption reached 202.20 million cubic meters (m3) last year, up by 117.2 percent from the 93.08 million (m3) in 2022.

Of the total consumption, accommodation services for visitors accounted for the highest water consumption.

The total energy consumption of tourism from the use of electricity and petroleum and other fuel products, meanwhile, reached 6,135.28 kilotonnes of oil equivalent (KTOE) in 2023, higher by 107.4 percent from the 2,957.64 KTOE recorded energy consumption in 2022.

“Transport services for visitors posted the highest energy consumption among tourism characteristic products in 2023 at 2,265.79 KTOE. This accounted for 36.9 percent of the total energy consumption of tourism from the use of Electricity and Petroleum and other fuel products,” the PSA sa
id.

The PSA also recorded an increase in the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from the use of electricity and petroleum and other fuel products by the tourism sector.

Emission was 8,034.20 Gigagrams (Gg) CO2, higher by 104.8 percent from the 3,922.39 Gg CO2 recorded in the previous year.

The PSA said transport services accounted for about 67.3 percent of the total CO2 emission of tourism.

“Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) is a developmental satellite account compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority starting 2021. It aims to provide useful information towards achieving a suitable balance among the economic, environmental, and social aspects of tourism development,” the PSA said.

Source: Philippines News agency