CARMACAL | Carbon measurement for tour operators

Carbon measurement for tour operators

CARMACAL enables tour operators to calculate the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with complete holiday and travel packages.

The web-based application combines emissions from:

flights;
other transport;
accommodation; and
selected activities.

CARMACAL helps users understand which parts of a travel product contribute most to its carbon footprint and compare different products or alternatives.

CARMACAL was developed specifically for tour operators. It reflects the way travel products are assembled from transport, accommodation and activities and brings these components together in one calculation.

Tour operators can use CARMACAL to:

calculate the estimated carbon footprint of complete travel products;
identify the components that contribute most to the result;
compare products, itineraries and alternative arrangements;
inform product-development and emission-reduction decisions;
monitor changes in product footprints; and
support carbon reporting and communication.

Calculate complete travel packages

CARMACAL can calculate travel products of different durations and group sizes. Users can add individual transport stages, accommodation stays and selected activities to create a complete itinerary.

The results show the estimated footprint of the travel product and the contribution of its individual components.

Identify carbon hotspots

By breaking the result down into flights, other transport, accommodation and activities, CARMACAL shows where emissions are concentrated.

This helps tour operators determine where changes could have the greatest effect and where more detailed information may be needed.

Compare alternatives

CARMACAL can be used to examine the effect of changes such as:

choosing another flight route;
using a different form of transport;
selecting another accommodation;
adjusting the itinerary or duration; or
offering an alternative product to the same destination.

Support transparent communication

CARMACAL results can support internal reporting and the provision of product-level carbon information.

A carbon footprint provides information about greenhouse-gas emissions. It does not assess all the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism and does not by itself demonstrate that a travel product or company is sustainable.

Why Carbon Management?

1.

Environmental Stewardship. By actively managing your carbon emissions, you demonstrate your commitment to reducing your environmental footprint and preserving the destinations you operate in.

2.

Competitive Advantage. In an increasingly environmentally aware market, consumers are seeking out tour operators who prioritize sustainability. By implementing carbon management practices, you position your business as a leader in responsible travel.

3.

Cost Savings. Identifying and reducing carbon emissions often leads to operational efficiencies, resulting in long-term cost savings for your business.

4.

Enhanced Reputation. Showcasing your commitment to carbon management allows you to build a positive reputation among environmentally conscious travelers, leading to increased brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.

Unique level of detail

With Carmacal, tour operators are able to measure and manage every carbon footprint aspect of their products in detail. The carbon footprint of flights is specified up to the level of airline and type of plane, for all scheduled flights available. Carmacal differentiates the footprint for 25 modes of transport, 21 emission-intensive activities, and gives exact distance calculations. Accommodation carbon footprints are calculated on an individual basis for some 550,000 accommodations worldwide. For other accommodations, 20 different types with individual emission factors are available.

Local transport, individual accommodations, and activities can also be specified on a per-day basis. Accommodations that are not among the 550,000 available can be specified with a drop-down list of types. Locations for transport start and ending points, as well as for accommodation, can also be found via a Google Maps pop-up. Finally, Carmacal offers three different carbon overviews: two for individual products, of which one on a per-day basis (showing you exactly which components weigh heavy on the total footprint and when), and one to compare different products (for example to the same destination).

Step-by-step

How it works

1

Create a travel product

Enter the basic information about the trip, including the number of travellers, duration, destinations and itinerary.

2

Add the travel components

Add the flights, other transport, accommodation and selected activities included in the package.

Depending on the data available, users can select specific flights and accommodation establishments or use an appropriate category or default value.

3

Calculate the footprint

CARMACAL combines the information entered with relevant datasets and emission factors.

Results are expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e), which allows the climate impact of different greenhouse gases to be presented in a common unit.

4

Review the results

Review the estimated footprint of the complete product and the contribution of its individual components.

This makes it possible to identify carbon hotspots and see which parts of the trip have the greatest influence on the result.

5

Compare products and alternatives

Save calculations and compare different travel products or alternative versions of an itinerary.

For a meaningful comparison, the calculations should cover comparable travel components and use consistent passenger numbers, boundaries and assumptions.

Access and support

Access CARMACAL

CARMACAL is available to tour operators and other tourism organisations through an annual user licence. The application is web-based and does not require separate software to be installed. Each authorised user receives access to the CARMACAL online environment and can create, save and review travel-product calculations.

Existing users can access the application through the login at this page through the Travelife membership environment.

Licences and pricing

CARMACAL licences are available to:

Travelife members;
individual tour operators;
travel associations;
destination organisations; and
other tourism organisations with a professional need to calculate travel-related greenhouse-gas emissions.

Licence conditions and fees may depend on the number of users and the intended use of the application. For current prices and available licence options, please contact info@carmacal.org.

User support

CARMACAL users receive information to help them get started with the application.

Support resources include:

user guidance;
instructions for creating a travel product;
explanations of the calculation components;
answers to frequently asked technical questions; and
assistance with account or access problems.

For questions about a calculation, users should first check that all travel components, passenger numbers, distances and durations have been entered correctly.

Methodology and data

CARMACAL calculates the estimated greenhouse-gas emissions of holiday and travel packages. It combines information entered by the user with emission factors and specialised datasets for flights, other transport, accommodation and selected activities.

Results are expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e), allowing the climate impact of different greenhouse gases to be presented in a common unit.

Calculation process

Users create a travel product by entering information such as:

departure, arrival and intermediate locations;
flights and other transport;
accommodation;
selected activities;
number of travellers; and
duration of the trip.

CARMACAL calculates the emissions associated with the individual travel components and combines these into a result for the complete travel product. Results can also be displayed by component and used to compare different products or itineraries.

Flights

Flight emissions are calculated using information about the selected route or flight. Depending on data availability, this may include:

departure and arrival airports;
direct and connecting flight segments;
route distance;
airline; and
aircraft type.

The calculation produces an estimated result per passenger for the selected journey. It is not based on a direct measurement of the fuel used by the individual flight.

Other transport

CARMACAL contains emission factors for different forms of land and water transport, such as rail, coach, car, taxi and ferry.

The calculation generally considers:

transport mode;
distance;
number of travellers; and
the individual transport stages included in the itinerary.

Where more specific information is unavailable, an average or default emission factor may be used.

Accommodation

Accommodation emissions are calculated for the number of nights included in the travel product.

Where suitable establishment-specific information is available, CARMACAL can use data relating to an individual accommodation. If this information is unavailable, the calculation may use an emission factor for the relevant accommodation type and location.

Accommodation results can be influenced by factors such as energy use, energy sources, heating and cooling, facilities, occupancy and local conditions.

Activities

CARMACAL includes emission factors for selected tourism activities. Activities can be added to the itinerary according to their frequency or duration.

An activity result covers the emission sources included in the applicable emission factor. Activities for which no suitable factor is available may not be calculated separately.

Data sources

CARMACAL uses information from external sources, partner resources and specialised datasets.

Sources currently or historically used in its development include:

Centre for Sustainability, Tourism and Transport at Breda University for Applied Sciences (2024)
the Google Travel Impact Model for flight information;
https://co2emissiefactoren.nl
Traveling Large report, BUAS
Milieu Centraal.

Different sources are used for different travel components. The datasets and emission factors may be updated when improved or more recent information becomes available.

Specific, average and default data

CARMACAL uses the most specific suitable information available within the tool. However, individual emissions data are not available for every component of every trip. A calculation may therefore combine:

information entered by the user;
flight-, route- or establishment-specific information;
category-based emission factors;
national or regional averages; and
default assumptions.

The level of detail of the available data affects the precision with which a result can be interpreted.

Calculation boundaries

A CARMACAL result covers the travel components entered by the user and the emission sources included in the applicable calculation methods.

Depending on the travel product and available data, the calculation may not include all emissions associated with:

food and beverages;
purchases made by travellers;
office operations of the tour operator;
construction of buildings and infrastructure;
production of vehicles and equipment;
services not entered as part of the itinerary; or
activities for which no suitable emission factor is available.

Data quality and user input

The quality of a calculation depends partly on the completeness and accuracy of the information entered. Users are responsible for checking that the routes, transport modes, accommodation, activities, passenger numbers and trip duration correspond with the travel product concerned.

CARMACAL results are calculated estimates rather than direct measurements. The outcome may also be influenced by the availability of specific data, the use of averages and defaults, and changes in external datasets.

Methodology updates

CARMACAL may update its datasets, emission factors and calculation methods to reflect new information, methodological improvements or changes made by external data providers.

A later calculation of the same travel product may consequently produce a different result. The calculation date and applicable methodology version should therefore be retained when results are published or compared.

Further information

For an explanation of how travellers should interpret CARMACAL results, see Understanding the carbon footprint of your holiday.

For questions about the methodology or data sources, please contact:

CARMACAL
info@carmacal.org

About

About CARMACAL

Carbon measurement developed for tourism

CARMACAL is a carbon-calculation tool developed specifically for the tourism sector. It enables tour operators to calculate the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with complete holiday and travel packages. Unlike calculators that consider only one part of a journey, CARMACAL brings together flights, other transport, accommodation and selected activities. This reflects the way tour operators develop and manage their travel products.

Background

CARMACAL was originally developed by Breda University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with tour operators and tourism organisations. The objective was to provide the tourism sector with a practical tool that combines scientific calculation methods with the operational structure of travel products.

CARMACAL received the UNWTO Award for Innovation in Research and Technology.

Partners

CARMACAL has been developed and supported through cooperation between organisations with expertise in tourism, sustainability and applied research.

Travelife

Travelife supports tour operators in integrating sustainability into their management and supply chains. CARMACAL is available to Travelife members and supports the measurement and management of greenhouse-gas emissions at travel-product level.

CARMACAL is made available to Travelife members and other tourism organisations. The tool supports the measurement and management of greenhouse-gas emissions at travel-product level.

CARMACAL complements Travelife’s broader sustainability approach but has a specific purpose: calculating greenhouse-gas emissions. It is not a sustainability certification scheme and does not assess all environmental, social and economic aspects of tourism.

ANVR

ANVR, the Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, represents travel companies in the Netherlands. ANVR has contributed its knowledge of the travel sector and the practical needs of tour operators to the development of CARMACAL.

Breda University of Applied Sciences

Breda University of Applied Sciences contributed the scientific expertise and research underlying the development of CARMACAL. The tool was originally developed by the university in cooperation with tour operators and other tourism partners.

Contact

For questions about CARMACAL, user access or licence conditions, please contact:

CARMACAL
Email: info@carmacal.org

For travelers

Understanding the carbon footprint of your holiday

Travel creates greenhouse-gas emissions through transport, accommodation and activities. CARMACAL is a calculation tool that helps tour operators measure the carbon footprint of complete holiday and travel packages.

What does CARMACAL calculate?

A CARMACAL calculation can include emissions associated with:

flights;
other forms of transport;
accommodation; and
selected activities.

The calculation is based on information about the individual components of a trip, such as the route, transport mode, accommodation, number of travelers and duration of the stay.

Results are expressed in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO₂e). CO₂e is a common unit used to combine the climate impact of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

What can the results be used for?

CARMACAL allows tour operators to:

calculate the estimated carbon footprint of a travel package;
identify which components contribute most to the result;
compare different itineraries or travel options; and
examine how changes to transport, accommodation or activities affect the calculated footprint.

Carbon information can help travelers understand differences between travel options. For example, two holidays to the same destination may have different carbon footprints because of the transport used, the route taken, the accommodation, the length of stay or the activities included.

How should a CARMACAL result be interpreted?

A CARMACAL result is an estimate based on the information entered and the emission factors and datasets used by the tool. The result is not an exact measurement of all emissions generated by a holiday.

When comparing carbon figures, it is important to check that:

the figures cover the same parts of the trip;
they are expressed for the same number of travelers;
the same calculation method has been used; and
the figures relate to comparable travel products.

The scope and methodology should therefore be considered together with the carbon figure.

Does a lower carbon footprint mean that a holiday is more sustainable?

No. A carbon footprint only provides information about greenhouse-gas emissions. A lower calculated carbon footprint does not by itself mean that a holiday or travel company is more sustainable.

Tourism can also affect:

biodiversity and natural resources;
waste and pollution;
working conditions and human rights;
local communities and cultural heritage;
local economic development; and
animal welfare.

These impacts are not represented by a CARMACAL carbon figure.

CARMACAL is a carbon-calculation tool. It does not certify a holiday, travel product or tour operator as more sustainable.

Does carbon offsetting remove the emissions?

No. Greenhouse-gas emissions generated by a trip still occur when a traveler or company makes a financial contribution to a climate project.

Reducing emissions and financing climate projects are different actions. Any information about carbon offsetting, climate contributions or carbon-neutrality claims should therefore be assessed separately from the CARMACAL calculation.

About the calculation method

CARMACAL uses specialised datasets and emission factors for different travel components. The calculated result depends partly on the availability and quality of the underlying data and on the information entered by the user.

More information about the calculation method, data sources, calculation boundaries and limitations is available on our Methodology and data page.