guest column :Kaitano Dube TOURISM, like any other economic sector, contributes to climate change through carbon emissions. The sector has a lot to lose from unsustainable practices, though. And this can have a serious impact on local and national economies and people’s livelihoods. Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors. It contributes an average of about 10% to global gross domestic product and employs millions of young people and women across the world. The first global tourism carbon emissions estimate report was released in 2005. Since then, there has been a growing demand for the industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Tourism contributes about 5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, the World Travel and Tourism Council has committed to reduce by 50% its emissions by 2035 relative to 2005 levels. My study looked at one of Africa’s most famous tourism sites, Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, located between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study examined how the Victoria Falls town tourism industry contributed to greenhouse gas emissions and what the industry was doing to mitigate climate change. I found that the main sources of carbon emissions were the hospitality, transport and attraction sectors. The findings show that there is potential to reduce the site’s carbon footprint through improving operational efficiency and investing in green technology. These findings can also guide other tourism sites — such as Kruger National Park in South Africa, Kariba resort town in Zimbabwe and the Okavango Delta in Botswana — in their efforts to become more sustainable and more attractive to environmentally aware tourists. Victoria Falls Victoria Falls is a nature-based tourism resort. As such, it also positions itself as a destination that’s conscious of its environmental practice. This is its brand appeal. Victoria Falls is an important tourism site to Zimbabwe and the broader African tourism market, given several business linkages. Victoria Falls itself is a fragile ecosystem. It has felt the impact of climate change through severe fluctuations in water flow at the waterfalls. More than 600 000 tourists visit this World Heritage Site annually from around the world. The primary activities in the resort town include a visit to the waterfalls, walking trails in the Victoria Falls rain forest, bungee jumping, game drives, swimming, cultural activities, boat rides and helicopter rides over the waterfalls. The primary economic activity in the town is tourism and immigration services. My study focused on tourism businesses’ operational activities that have a bearing on greenhouse gas emissions, including green purchasing practices, type of equipment used, type of energy used, fuel consumption and measures to save energy and water. I found that the accommodation establishments in the Victoria Falls area were constructed sustainably to avoid environmental disruptions. Carbon emissions My research found that various activities add to the burden of carbon emissions throughout the tourism va