Monitoring Carbon Footprint of Tourism: An Effective Approach to Controlling Environmental hazards and Preservation of Sustainable Environment (Case Study: Payam International Airport)

Tourism is one of the vital industries in many countries. Besides its advantages, tourism has some disadvantages due to its considerable role in the emission of pollutants, such as CO2. Many studies have been conducted on the negative consequences of tourism, while there are few studies on carbon management and subsequent issues. The main purpose of this study was to monitor the carbon footprint of tourism, considering it an effective approach to Controlling Environmental hazards and preservation of a sustainable environment. The extant study was conducted using a mixed-method of exploratory-sequential approach within two qualitative and quantitative phases. As the case study, Payam International Airport providing travel and tourism services since 2018. In this research, the relevant variables were identified and defined by using the environment input-output model then three fundamental information categories were introduced. Finally, Structure Decomposition Analysis (SDA) (the decomposition caused by high temperature) was used to measure respective indicators. The results showed the ascending trend of carbon footprint in Payam International Airport over recent years. The outcome of the present paper was monitoring carbon footprint in tourism, serving as an initial task in carbon management in tourism and an effective approach to Controlling Environmental hazards and preservation of sustainable environment. Such crucial results can identify the gaps and chasms in this context and reveal the main bottlenecks of CO2 emission. Related decisions in this area can prioritize the protection of the environment and the control of hazards and environmental pollution.