Decarbonising Tourism: The Transformation Barriers to Climate Neutrality in Accommodations – the Case of Bavaria, Southern Germany

Abstract The accommodation sector significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions in tourism. Likewise, climate change affects tourism and will do so even more in the future. The prospective climate impacts of greenhouse gas emissions from the accommodation industry depend on the industry itself, as the progression of climate change can be mitigated by climate-neutral accommodation. Furthermore, legislation requires businesses to achieve climate neutrality soon: In the EU by 2050, in Germany by 2045, and in the state of Bavaria by 2040. Thus, the pursuit of climate neutrality should be a top priority for the industry. The goal – climate neutrality – appears clear and is politically predetermined, yet its implementation falters. This article analyses the barriers to achieving a climate-neutral accommodation sector in Bavaria using a socio-ecological transformation framework. Barriers to transformation were identified through qualitative interviews (n=26) and quantified via a standardised survey (n=666). The results show that many accommodation providers need to catch up on climate neutrality transformation, with expected costs, uncertainty, insecurity and lack of knowledge being central barriers. Furthermore, climate change receives limited attention and the responsibility for achieving climate neutrality is deflected to others.