Dutch tourists are polluting more than they used to. The main reason is that they travel more.

Between 2002 and 2008 the average travel distance grew by an average 33 percent. As a result, Dutch holidaymakers emitted 16,8 percent more green house gasses. The figures published by the newspaper Trouw are mentioned in a study conducted by the Dutch Academy of Hotel Management in Breda. The study found that flights to destinations outside Europe increased by as much as 82 percent. The study notes that the figures fly in the face of the country's stated aim to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

Tourists in the Seychelles (Photo: Wikimedia)