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Climate change, warns the World Tourism Organization, will affect where people travel and when they go.

Martha Honey, executive director at the International Ecotourism Society in Washington, D.C., says climate change is already apparent in many of the "stunning places around the world we like to visit." She points to rising ocean levels affecting islands in the South Pacific, melting snow at the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, and severe winters in Montenegro.

Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the WTO, recently told a conference that climate change poses a growing risk to the tourism industry, tourists themselves and economies that rely on tourism. He pointed out that beach destinations and winter sports resorts are all "highly dependent on favourable climate conditions."

A report from the World Wildlife Fund on climate change and tourism concurs. It adds that "climate change is expected to increase the risk of illness in several parts of the world, and consequently discourage tourism. . ."

What makes climate change tricky for travellers is that tourism itself is being identified as a major contributor to global warming, owing largely to greenhouse-gas emissions from airplanes. While air traffic emits about 4 per cent of greenhouse gases, these emissions enter the atmosphere at a much higher altitude, thereby increasing its negative impact on the climate. According to Atmosfair, an independent non-profit organization in Germany, as much as 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions today can be attributed to air travel.

And there's another dilemma for those of us who love off-the-beaten-track travel. These globetrotters often go farther and move around more once they reach their destination. Wolfgang Strasdas, director of a program in Sustainable Tourism at a university in Berlin, recently suggested that "nature tourists are more likely to take tours involving several attractions in one trip (as opposed to the typical resort vacationer who tends to stay in one place), and they are bound to travel even more once in the destination -- frequently by car or plane."And though sustainable travel initiatives are often noted for offering alternative forms of transport -- bikes, buses, boats, horses, hiking, even sled dogs -- most of us tend to rely on our four-wheeled, fossil-fuelled friends regardless.

Does this mean that the responsible thing to do is to forego travel altogether? Absolutely not, says Martha Honey. "So many developing countries are dependent on eco-tourism," she explains. "It's an important development tool."

However, there are things we can do to mitigate our contributions as travellers to climate change. Honey suggests that travellers keep up the pressure on governments to support Kyoto's goals. We can contribute to carbon offsetting programs, such as Atmosfair (http://www.atmosfair.com), Climate Care (http://www.co2.org), Future Forests (http://www.futureforests.com) and others, that charge a nominal fee (usually around $20) based on the distance of our flight to fund such projects as tiger-habitat preservation or purchasing renewable energy in developing countries. Honey suggests we can also demand that airlines continue to produce increasingly fuel-efficient planes. Virgin Atlantic Airways boss Richard Branson recently announced he's "looking for alternative fuel sources," though he says that's still "in the early stages."

In the meantime, sustainable travel proponents recommend we minimize our travel but maximize our experiences. In other words, go less frequently, but stay longer in each destination. Sounds like a recipe not only for less stress on our environment, but less stress in our lives. Just tell your boss you need four weeks off -- it's part of a master plan to reduce climate change.

virtuous@globeandmail.ca