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This paper presents an overview of the relationship between tourism and global climate change. On the one hand, the tourism industry may be one of the greatest economic victims of climate change. Yet, on the other hand, the broader tourism sector is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This study traces the evolution of academic interest in tourism and climate change. Growth in this area has tracked growth in interest in climate change in general, with tourism-related papers representing consistently about 0.5% of the published research on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the impact of climate change on tourism. He stresses that anthropogenetic climate change has been increasingly recognized as the major threat to large sections of the society and the environment. He points out that there has been little research undertaken on the impacts of climate change on tourism, thus, resulted in the publication of only a small volume of peer-reviewed research. He argues that studies which are undertaken by climate scientists have shown that it is not only the magnitude of changes which are increasingly unprecedented but also the rate of those changes.

Tourism is widely acknowledged as a key contributor to climate change, but it remains unclear how the tourism industry has been planning for climate change in practice. This paper conducts the most comprehensive critical review of Australia's tourism policy and planning documents to date. The paper explores the complex challenges posed by climate change to tourism and how tourism policy has been adapting over a 15-year period. Drawing on a longitudinal data-set of 477 Australian tourism policy and planning documents at the national, state, regional and local level, this research analyses the strategic discourse on climate change using content analysis and bibliometrics. The findings reveal opportunities, challenges and strategies for the tourism industry to contribute to the sustainable management of climate change. Opportunities include developing more “green” products, while strategies include establishing and/or participating in collaborative climate change schemes and strengthening dialogue surrounding climate change to aid the implementation of sustainable practices. Future research should consider the broader policy-making environment, such as the stakeholders, power and interest dynamics when analysing tourism strategies in relation to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is an important economic sector in the Global South. It is however vulnerable to the risks and variations associated with global climate change. The paper qualitatively investigates how issues surrounding uncertainty in the climate change discourse have influenced policy makers' response to climate change in Botswana's tourism sector. The analysis of the empirical data derived from in-depth interviews demonstrates that some policy makers remain skeptical about climate change and its impacts on tourism despite growing evidence from regional scientific research and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Constraints that hamper progress in policy response measures include inadequate knowledge of, and the extent to which, climate science can be trusted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines future climate change scenarios for the Mediterranean region using the Tourism Climatic Index. Currently, an estimated 100 million tourists visit the Mediterranean region annually, largely because of its favourable climate. Experiments with climate change scenarios suggest likely changes, with the Mediterranean becoming too hot in summer, with northern Europe having a more attractive climate, and with the Mediterranean becoming a more pleasant destination in spring and autumn. These spatial and temporal changes in climatic attractiveness could have major impacts on the sustainability of tourism development. Preliminary results for the case study of the Balearic Islands suggest that changes are likely to be detrimental from an economic and social point of view, and neutral or favourable from a resource management and biodiversity perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many rural regions, including those of the Nordic region, a former dependence on primary activities such as fishing, forestry, mining and/or agriculture has been superseded in recent decades by increasing involvement in the tourism sector. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential implications of climate change for non-winter rural tourism in the Nordic region. Using the Tourism Climatic Index as an analytical tool, the paper highlights the range of potential conditions for outdoor tourism activity for three future time periods (the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s) under two scenarios of climate change (B1A and A1F). Findings suggest the possibility of substantially longer periods of desirable climatic conditions in future decades, particularly in the southern and eastern portions of the region. Implications of the findings are discussed in the context of the adaptive capacity of various tourism actors (tourists, providers and government) and in light of the particular vulnerabilities and assets of rural communities. The need for an integrated and multilevel approach that recognises the importance of the efficient coordination and integration of resources, products and services across multiple actor boundaries and levels is stressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal and marine environments are among the most popular areas for outdoor recreation and tourism. Coastal areas have also been identified as the most vulnerable to climate change, for example as a result of extreme events and sea-level rise. It will be increasingly important for coastal tourism destination managers to understand their vulnerability to climatic changes and to devise appropriate adaptation. This paper presents a five-step vulnerability assessment methodology for tourism in coastal areas. The five steps include (1) system analysis, (2) identification of activity and hazard sub-systems, (3) vulnerability assessments for the different sub-systems at risk, (4) integration for the destination as a whole and scenario analysis and (5) communication. The framework is illustrated by an example of how it might be applied to Fiji. The paper concludes that a consistent methodology, like the one proposed, will facilitate vulnerability assessments in a range of coastal destinations, allow comparison to be made of vulnerabilities across different situations, provide a basis for more research into specific adaptation measures and assist destinations to develop a more sustainable tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the evolution of research into tourism and climate change, illustrating how early work concentrated on the impact of climate change on tourism, whereas current work also explores the impact of tourism on climate change. It goes on to elaborate a research agenda on both topics. The need to open up tourism research to other fields and professional worlds - such as climatology, the International Panel on Climate Change and transport research - is stressed, as is the need to organise the research community on a global basis, with more collaborative and comparative research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the approach and reasoning behind two central conceptual diagrams relating tourism and climate change. The first diagram describes a typical polarisation in tourism and climate change knowledge management. It is argued that this polarisation restricts the collective body of knowledge and obscures important causal links between tourism and climate change phenomena. Developments are proposed in a second conceptual model which counters the tendency of scientists, policymakers, the tourism industry and NGOs to polarise along two research interests by discussing climate's influence on tourism vs. tourism's influence on climate; either of which could be interpreted as a primary limitation to the sustainability of tourism. The paper places into context key perspectives in the tourism-climate change discussions, addresses the difficulty of including system feedbacks between human activity and climate interactions, and draws attention to the underlying drivers of unsustainable trends. New strategic conceptual models are advocated to support long-term non-territorial collaboration, to incorporate adaptation and mitigation in ways which are not mutually exclusive, and to address the following paradox: that the cross-section of the global population driving the demand for tourism resources threatened by climate change are also disproportionately responsible for increased radiative forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With considerable evidence demonstrating the intrinsic importance of weather and climate for tourist decision-making, the projected redistribution of climatic resources as a result of climate change is anticipated to have important consequences for temporal and spatial patterns of tourism demand. Some of the world's leading coastal tourism destinations (Mediterranean and Caribbean) have been identified as becoming ‘too hot’ for tourism. However, the microclimates of coastal tourism areas have not been considered by such assessments. With a focus on thermo-physiologically relevant climatic parameters, this paper examines the adaptive range of microclimatic conditions available in two coastal resort settings in the Caribbean islands of Barbados and Tobago. Recorded weather parameters include air temperature, black globe temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. The microclimatic results, which are presented using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), show that hourly thermal conditions can range up to 4 °C in different outdoor areas of the resort property (beach, garden, pool, cabana). This is salient in terms of characterizing tourism destinations for climate change assessments, as the results reveal that thermal conditions can vary at the micro-scale of a coastal resort, with the ability for tourists to attain thermally comfortable conditions within a single resort property. When a location becomes thermally uncomfortable (i.e. too hot), tourists can change their location (e.g. move from the pool to the beach), providing an onsite adaptive range between 1 °C and 4 °C. The results also demonstrate that thermo-physiologically relevant climatic parameters provide a more precise estimate of the available range of thermal comfort than is inferred from ambient temperature alone. The findings are discussed in the context of tourists’ climatic preferences and reveal that the microclimatic conditions recorded in this study (UTCI 29–36 °C) are well within tourists’ preferred thermal conditions and do not exceed tourists’ thermal thresholds for coastal tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Interest in the interactions between climate, weather and tourism has increased markedly in the last decade in response to climate change concerns; however, there is little empirical research on how tourists respond to the weather conditions they encounter. Thus, in this paper, we examine the impact of the weather on a sample of international tourists visiting New Zealand during the 2009–10 summer season. Based on weather-related changes made to tourists’ travel routes, the timing of their travel and activity participation while in New Zealand, respondents were segmented into three groups: those with ‘no travel changes’ during their trip, those with ‘some travel changes’ and those with ‘substantial travel changes’ to their trip. The results show a generally high level of changes made to trips, particularly in the less settled early summer season, and an interesting link with satisfaction. The research provides an empirical basis for a framework that would facilitate further research into the adaptive capacity of tourists towards climate variability and change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Millions of passengers choose to cruise every year, and weather conditions may be a factor that could influence service delivery and consumer satisfaction. This paper empirically examines the impact of (un)favourable weather conditions on perceptions of service quality and overall satisfaction amongst cruise passengers. This quantitative study was conducted with 257 respondents who cruised during favourable and unfavourable weather conditions in the Caribbean. Partial least square path modelling analysis was used to examine the direct impact of (un)favourable weather conditions on service quality and overall satisfaction. The results obtained show that weather perception have a positive impact on perceived service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has already affected and will continue to affect physical and biological systems in many parts of the world. For example, annual snow cover extent in the northern hemisphere has decreased by about 10% since 1966, and in Sweden, the last decade was wetter and warmer than the preceding 30-year period. These changes will affect many aspects of utilisation patterns that are dependent on the physical environment, such as alpine winter tourism. In this paper, we discuss the future development of the downhill skiing industry in Sweden. We first review trends in alpine winter tourism in relation to climate change together with regional projections of climate change. Secondly, we examine trends in climate parameters relevant to alpine winter tourism in Sweden during the last 30 years. Thirdly, we take these parameters, together with regional projections of climate change, and predict effects on the number of skiing days in order to estimate the monetary loss for the skiing industry in Sweden. The analyses show predicted losses that are larger than current ski-ticket sales. Adaptation strategies such as the development of year-round tourist activities should be developed as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is now firmly recognized by the majority of the world's scientists and governments as an issue of extreme concern for the global population. Outdoor recreation and tourism are likely to be impacted directly and indirectly by such change, as both the climate, and the natural environment associated with it, continue to alter. At the same time, however, tourism activity is itself a contributor to the problem of climate change due to its dependency on fossil fuel consumption. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to the relationships between climate change, and outdoor recreation and tourism, in Europe through a review of the relatively limited empirical evidence on this subject to date. Topics discussed include the potential impacts of projected climate change on human health and comfort, possible shifts in preferred destinations, and potential alterations in current patterns of seasonality. Various avenues of future research are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in order to understand tourist perceptions of climate change, the importance of climate for travel decisions, and the likely consequences of ongoing climate change for travel decisions. The results show that climatic characteristics of destinations are important, though not the only factor shaping travel decisions. Under a scenario of climate change, certain climate variables, such as more rain, storms, and higher humidity are also likely to negatively influence travel decisions, rather than higher temperatures alone, which are not necessarily perceived as negative. Regarding the contribution of travel to climate change, the study reveals that leisure tourists in Zanzibar are largely unaware of their impact on the natural environment, while the analysis of stated travel behaviour shows that they frequently travel by air. Overall, the results indicate that travel flows might change in more complex ways than currently assumed, and that a small share of high-intensity air travellers is responsible for a considerable environmental impact in terms of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of average temperature, rainfall, sunshine duration, and humidity as climate indicators, on tourism demand in of four countries (South Korea, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia). These four countries are the major tourism markets of Jeju Island. Second, this study aims to contribute to Jeju Island Organization Marketing Bureau by demonstrating the seasonality and weather indicator effects on the number of visitors to Jeju Island from each country. Rainfall and sunshine duration had a positive impact on Korean tourists; while in contrast, the weather variables had no significant impact on tourism demand among Japanese tourists. Sunshine duration had a positive impact on Chinese tourists, while humidity had a negative impact and average temperature had a positive impact on tourism demand among Southeast Asian tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates connections between climate justice and cultural sustainability through the case of Etëtung, or 'Vanuatu Women's Water Music', as it is found in the ni-Vanuatu community of Leweton. Drawing on existing literature, interviews and field visit observations, I consider how and why Etëtung is proving increasingly important in local efforts toward cultural sustainability and climate justice (social justice as it relates to climate change). Specifically, I focus on three ways in which community members are employing the practice of Etëtung to progress both climate justice and cultural sustainability concerns: first, through the use of Etëtung to maintain and transmit cultural and environmental knowledge; second, through featuring Etëtung in cultural tourism; and third, through drawing on Etëtung to enable greater participation in the regional and international climate change discourse. As such, this article presents and reflects on one multifaceted approach to advancing dual cultural sustainability and climate justice interests, with potential relevance to other contexts in the Pacific and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like other destinations in the Asia Pacific region, Australia's tourism industry is vulnerable to the impacts and implications of climate change. The country's reliance on its natural “product”, which is potentially under threat, coupled with the potential for changing consumer demand patterns, particularly in long-haul markets, should be concerning for the tourism industry. Yet, the tourism industry has been criticised for its short-term, profit orientation and lack of action regarding climate change [Hall, C.M., & Higham, J. (Eds.) (2005). Tourism, recreation and climate change. Clevedon: Channel View Publications; Jenkins, K., & Nicholls, S. (2010). The impacts of climate variability and potential climate change on tourism business in Torbay, England and implications for adaptation. Tourism Analysis, 15(1), 17–30; Viner, D. (2006). Tourism and its interactions with climate change. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 14(4), 317–415]. However, little empirical research has investigated the tourism industry's perspectives regarding climate change, neither the relative importance of climate change vis-a-vis other challenges facing the sector nor the strategies and actions required by the tourism industry to facilitate adaptation and mitigation strategies. It is against this background that a qualitative study was undertaken with expert representatives from both the public and private sectors of Australia's tourism industry to explore the industry's perspectives on current challenges and future directions with regards to climate change. The findings show that while the industry is aware of the importance of climate change, it is not seen as a pressing issue, particularly in light of the global economic crisis, and there has been little action by the industry in response to climate change. Respondents noted that the tourism industry is largely relying on, and waiting for, government intervention and leadership for the sector with regards to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Ligurian climate has been mapped for hydrological and tourist purposes. Isohyet and isotherm maps as well as ombrothermic diagrams show a great abundance of water characterizing the Ligurian environment. Winter and summer tourist maps, produced by running a global polynomial interpolation, highlight areas where climate allows snow tourism, coastal sports, bathing, relaxation and cultural tourism. A synthesis tourist susceptibility map shows many areas, often scarcely developed, where climate conditions are potentially suitable for the development of tourist activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projected greenhouse gas induced climate change may alter the frequency and intensity of events like heat waves, drought and fires which affect tourists in the Mediterranean. The summer of 2003 is used as an example of the impact of climate on tourists to the area. Tourists' reactions and the possible adaptive responses that the tourist industry might adopt are considered. The sustainability of tourism in the future is also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of skiing tourism has been repeatedly identified as vulnerable to global climate change. Earlier research, however, did not fully consider snowmaking as an adaptation strategy, which is integral to the ski industry in eastern North America. This study examines how it reduces the vulnerability of ski areas to climate change in six study areas by developing a model to assess the impact of climate change on season length, probability of operations during critical tourism periods, snowmaking costs, and water requirements. It suggests that in the 2020s, even the warmest climate change scenario poses only a minor risk to four of the six ski areas. The reassessment for the 2050s period found that only the warmest scenario would jeopardise the sustainability of three of the ski areas examined. The confluence of climatic changes and other nonclimate business factors will advantage certain ski areas and likely result in further contraction and consolidation in this regional ski market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]