DOI: https://doi.org/10.36344/ccijhss.2025.v11i12.003

Pages: 265-271

Tourism in Himachal Pradesh is economically significant but increasingly energy- and mobility-intensive. Hotel operations, expanding accommodation, construction materials, private tourist vehicles and the movement of supplies through steep terrain contribute to greenhouse-gas emissions while increasing the sector's exposure to climate risk. This study analyses the energy and transport dimensions of low-carbon tourism development in Himachal Pradesh. The analysis identifies four connected emission pathways, embodied emissions from tourism-led construction, operational energy use in accommodation, fossil-fuel dependence in heating and hospitality and transport emissions generated by visitor travel and construction logistics. These pathways are reinforced by congestion, seasonal peaks, dispersed destinations and the higher fuel requirements of mountain roads. Existing directions like energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy, demand-side flexibility, electric mobility, improved public transport and climate-sensitive land-use regulation, offer a foundation for transition, but fragmented governance and implementation gaps reduce their effectiveness. The study argues that low-carbon tourism cannot be achieved through isolated green hotels or vehicle substitution. It requires coordinated destination-level carbon management linking buildings, mobility, visitor flows, infrastructure and monitoring. The conclusion proposes a staged transition that first reduces energy and travel demand, then improves efficiency and finally substitutes low-carbon technologies within a broader framework of ecological and social safeguards.