Ariadna Terrón Ferret | ENT environment & management
Tourism activity has become one of the main economic drivers on a global scale, accounting for around 10% of global GDP and generating approximately one in every ten jobs[1]. In countries particularly dependent on this activity, such as Spain, its economic contribution is even more significant, reaching 11.6% of GDP in 2022[2]. However, this economic engine has an often-overlooked environmental dark side: the large amount of waste generated putting at risk the sustainability of the very ecosystems that attract visitors[3].
Seasonality and the illusion of clean beaches
The environmental impact of tourism is particularly evident in coastal and island areas. It is estimated that a tourist generates approximately 2 kilograms of waste per day, a figure that doubles the average generated by a local resident[4]. This pressure means that tourism is directly responsible for up to 80% of the marine litter that accumulates on the beaches of Mediterranean islands during the high season3.
The impact of this model of mass consumption is especially devastating for the marine environment, where waste not only alters the landscape but also compromises the integrity of ecosystems. Single-use plastic products (SUPs), together with abandoned fishing gear, account for 70% of dispersed marine litter in the European Union[5], a figure that rises to 94% on the beaches of Mediterranean islands3. Far from disappearing, these materials undergo a fragmentation process accelerated by solar radiation and mechanical friction, turning into microplastics that eventually enter the global food chain[6].
Pressure on municipal waste management
In most destinations, tourism is seasonal, forcing municipalities to oversize their waste collection and treatment infrastructure to cope with demand peaks occurring only during a few months of the year 6,[7].
This challenge is particularly evident in island destinations, where territorial and logistical constraints amplify the effects of the seasonal increase in waste generation. The Maldives provide a paradigmatic example of the challenges associated with waste management in island tourist destinations. The geographical dispersion of their islands, the limited availability of land, and the strong economic dependence on tourism complicate waste treatment and increase management costs. These structural limitations hinder the implementation of sustainable collection and treatment systems, especially in a context of continued growth in tourism activity[8], [9].
The difficulties observed in the Maldives are not an isolated case but are repeated in other island territories. In this regard, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are examples of a problem shared by several island tourist destinations. In both archipelagos, high tourism pressure, combined with insularity, the scarcity of land available for new facilities, and the high cost of reverse logistics, hinders the sustainable management of the waste generated during the months of peak visitor influx6,[10].
Despite the magnitude of the problem, there is a notable lack of specific official indicators to monitor waste generation attributable to the sector. This administrative invisibility often leads to inaction, as tourism-related waste ends up being integrated into the management of municipal waste6.
Conclusions
Despite the importance of waste management, it must be considered within the broader environmental impact of tourism. Transport, especially air travel, is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions associated with tourism activity[11]. Therefore, sustainability strategies must address both waste management and the reduction of emissions derived from mobility and other impacts in an integrated manner.
In addition, it should be taken into account that a large share of the waste generated by tourists is linked to the economic activities that benefit from their presence, particularly the accommodation, hospitality, and retail sectors. In this sense, proper management of commercial waste could help partially reduce this problem. However, this measure alone is not sufficient and must be complemented by prevention strategies aimed at reducing waste generation.
Therefore, strong political commitment is needed to translate the sustainability discourse into regulations that encourage prevention, promote specific accounting of waste generated by tourists, and drive measures to reduce the environmental footprint of the sector. The tourism of the future must move away from dependence on mass consumption and evolve towards more respectful, territorial-base models, focused on environmental preservation.
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[1] https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/responsible-industry/tourism
[2] https://www.ine.es/jaxi/Tabla.htm?tpx=33613&L=0
[3] https://www.uab.cat/web/sala-de-premsa-icta-uab/detall-noticia/el-turismo-es-el-principal-responsable-de-la-basura-marina-en-las-playas-del-mediterraneo-1345819907210.html?cid=1345819907210&d=Touch&detid=1345835779614&pagename=ICTA%2FPage%2FTemplatePageNoticiaWebDetalle_WAI
[4] https://diariodegastronomia.com/la-creciente-relacion-aumento-del-turismo-la-basura-marina
[5] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/plastics/single-use-plastics_en#law
[6] https://accedacris.ulpgc.es/bitstream/10553/135055/1/gestionresiduos.pdf
[7] https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202512.2229
[8] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11783-024-1784-7
[9] https://climateactiontransparency.org/sites/default/files/wp_resources/D3_Waste-Diagnostic-study.pdf
[10] https://repositori.uib.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11201/162973/Agn%c3%a8s%20Cladera%20Bonet.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
[11] https://www.untourism.int/news/tourisms-carbon-emissions-measured-in-landmark-report-launched-at-cop25