Scholarly record

CLIMATE CHANGE AND TOURISM - SOME KEY ISSUES

Inna Blagoeva

Abstract

Tourism is very vulnerable to climate change. Threats to the sector - direct and indirect - are also increasing extreme weather events, increased costs for insurance and security, water shortages, loss of biodiversity and damage or loss of attractions in tourist places. A study by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 2016 showed that today, approximately 40% of countries that have prepared national commitments (NDC) recognize tourism either as a priority in their mitigation and adaptation strategies, or as a sector vulnerable to climate change. Climate is often a decisive factor when choosing a tourist destination, whether it is a mild, warm climate for outdoor activities or a cold, snowy climate for skiing. Thus, climate change threatens to change the quality of many tourist destinations around the world. Tourism of small islands, reefs and ski areas is particularly affected by climate change. Tourism, the world's largest industry, also contributes to climate change. About half of the world's air travel is in tourism, and aviation accounts for about 2-3% of all anthropogenic (anthropogenic) emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and about 13% of anthropogenic emissions. As the climate warms, climatic zones favorable for tourism will shift towards the poles. Areas that are now comfortable may become too hot. For example, the tourism industry suffered in southern France during the unprecedented European heat of 2003, and such extreme weather events are likely to become more common with global warming. Islands that are no longer above water and reefs that are bleached and lifeless cease to generate tourism income. Losses in the ski industry have already occurred in Austria, Chile, the eastern United States and Switzerland, as winters are shrinking and thaws are becoming more common. Glacier National Park in the United States is likely to be glacier free by 2030. Tourism is the main economic engine for many small islands, where sea level rise due to global warming is projected to accelerate beach erosion, worsen coastal defenses such as coral reefs, and increase the salinization of coastal wells that many island resorts depend on. 1190 islands of the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which is one of the main places for beach and underwater tourism, are on average only 39 inches (1 m) above sea level, which is consistent with the range of possible sea level rise by 2100 and will almost certainly be exceeded in the next century or so.

Publication Impact Profile

• Captures
• Mendeley - Readers: 20

PLUMX see details

DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2020/4.1/s19.043

Publication details

Back to publication list