Tourism and Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities (Climate Change, Economies and Society) - Softcover

Becken, Susanne; Hay, John E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1845410661 ISBN 13: 9781845410667

Verlag: Channel View Publications, 2007

Inhaltsangabe

This book discusses the tourism-climate system and provides a sound basis for those interested in tourism management and climate change mitigation, adaptation and policy. In the first three chapters, the book provides a general overview of the relationships between tourism and climate change and illustrates the complexity in four case studies that are relevant to the wide audience of tourism stakeholders. In the following seven chapters detailed discussion of the tourism and climate systems, greenhouse gas accounting for tourism, mitigation, climate risk management and comprehensive tourism-climate policies are provided. This book compiles and critically analyses the latest knowledge in this field of research and seeks to make it accessible to tourism practitioners and other stakeholders involved in tourism or climate change.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Dr. Susanne Becken is a Principal Research Officer at Lincoln University in the field of Sustainable Tourism. Until recently she was a Research Leader with Landcare Research, New Zealand, where most of this book has been written. Susanne led a government-funded project on travel behaviour and greenhouse gas emissions from international tourists. She has also completed a range of consultancy work in the areas of energy efficiency, climate change, and relating policies. At present Susanne is the lead consultant in a UNWTO project on climate change and tourism in Fiji. She is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism and acts as a contributing author to the 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; she also represents Oceania/Southeast Asia on the WMO expert team on climate and tourism. Prof. John Hay has nearly forty years work experience in academia, the private sector and governmental organisations, with a focus on bringing an interdisciplinary approach to the environmental sciences, to technical and policy-relevant assessments and to professional training in environmental science, engineering, technology, law, policy and management. John has extensive international experience as a climate scientist, including acting as lead author in the latest three assessments conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Currently John works as a consultant and advisor to many national governments and regional and international organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme. John is also the lead consultant in a UNWTO project on climate change and tourism in the Maldives.

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Tourism and Climate Change

Risks and Opportunities

By Susanne Becken, John E. Hay

Multilingual Matters

Copyright © 2007 Susanne Becken and John E. Hay
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-84541-066-7

Contents

Illustrative material, 
Abbreviations, 
Acknowledgements, 
Preface, 
1 Introduction, 
2 The Tourism–Climate System, 
3 Case Studies of the Tourism–Climate System, 
4 An Overview of Tourism, 
5 Global and Regional Climate Change, 
6 Methodologies for Greenhouse Gas Accounting, 
7 Climate Change Mitigation Measures, 
8 Climate Change-related Risks and Adaptation, 
9 Climate Change Policies and Practices for Tourism, 
10 Conclusion, 
References, 
Index, 

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Risk is potential loss and opportunity is possible gain. Over the last few years there has been increasing recognition of the risks and opportunities that climate change brings to tourism.

Tourism takes place in a wide range of places that are often closely linked to the natural environment and, as a consequence, to local climatic conditions. Changes in the climate, including climate-related hazards, have the potential to affect tourism businesses and tourist experiences alike. The tourism industry has to face headlines such as:

• 'Cool Season Dampens Fun, Pinches Profits: Summertime Blues' The Detroit News 27 August 2004

• 'Unseasonably Warm Weather Brings US Ski Season to Disappointing End' The Press-Enterprise 17 April 2004

• 'Wilma Slams Mexico Resorts' CNN 24 October 2005

• 'Dutch Seek to Defend Coastal Resorts from Sea Rise' Planet Ark 23 January 2006

• 'Tourism Experts Say Hot Summer Means Higher Turnover' Deutsche Welle 31 July 2006

Tourism is increasingly recognised as a significant activity, with a range of economic, social and environmental consequences. Tourism is one contributor to the build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are now recognised as causing unprecedented changes in the global climate. Such links between tourism and climate change are now acknowledged by key players in the tourism industry. Mark Ellingham, the founder of Rough Guides, and Tony Wheeler, who created Lonely Planet, want fellow travellers to 'fly less and stay longer' and donate money to carbon offsetting schemes. They urge their readers to: 'join to discourage "casual flying"'. A "Rough Guide to Climate Change" has appeared in late 2006.

As with the headlines that highlight climate-related risks and opportunities to tourism, the sector also has to deal with a growing number of headlines that sensitise tourists about their impacts on the global climate.

• 'Night flights much worse for global warming' The Independent 3 August 2006

• 'Aviation "huge threat to CO aim"' BBC News 21 September 2005

• 'It's a sin to fly, says church' The Sunday Times 23 July 2006

The last headline relates to an announcement by the Bishop of London. He said it was sinful for people to contribute to climate change by flying on holiday, driving a 'gas-guzzling' car or failing to use energy-saving measures in their homes. Similar calls have been made elsewhere, for example by a group of Anglican bishops in New Zealand and Fiji. They committed themselves to carbon management and offsetting.

In the last year or two there have been some dramatic changes in the perception of climate change and recognition of the risks if these are not addressed. Research into the risks, as well as opportunities, helps decision makers to implement effective and efficient measures. In the area of tourism, little research has been undertaken with respect to climate change. Early publications include those by Giles and Perry (1998), Viner and Agnew (1999), Wall and Badke (1994) and Wall (1998). An Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2003) report on the global impacts of climate change, and the associated benefits of an effective climate policy noted that 'In some key sectors, such as recreation, tourism, and energy, there has been little research conducted that characterises the relationship between climate change and impacts at a global scale.' Development of appropriate policies has been limited as a result.

This book aims to bring together current understanding regarding the interactions between climate change and tourism and to highlight both the policy implications as well as the repercussions for tourism businesses, policy and decision makers, and tourism practitioners. The audience for this book is diverse, as the issue of tourism and climate change is cross-cutting and influences many spheres of life, including both planning and decision making. The topics covered are also of interest to university students of both the environmental sciences and tourism. However, the book mainly targets those decision makers who must take into account the impacts of climate change on tourism or consider the GHG emissions caused by tourism. These decision makers will be working in national, regional or international governmental organisations, and in non-governmental organisations including tourism industry organisations. Importantly, the structure of the book is such that it will appeal to any reader who seeks specific information on the tourism–climate interactions and their practical implications.

The book is structured into two major parts. Chapters 1–3 (Introduction, The Tourism–Climate System, and Tourism–Climate Case Studies) introduce and elaborate the interactions between tourism and climate, including identification of climate–tourism 'hotspots'. Practical considerations are illustrated in four case studies. The first two focus on Alpine Europe and small island states. These have been identified as among the most vulnerable types of destination with respect to climate change. However, both mitigation and adaptation responses are discussed. The insurance industry case study highlights again the need for risk management in relation to climate change. Key concerns for tourism include natural disasters and the increasing difficulty to obtain insurance cover for many tourism businesses and infrastructure. International aviation is discussed in the fourth case study. It highlights the political difficulties of implementing fair and equitable climate change mitigation policies.

Chapters 1–3 thus provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the key issues related to climate change and tourism, along with a more in-depth and practical understanding of tourism–climate issues for four more specific situations. The remainder of the book provides more in-depth information on the key components of the tourism–climate system. Forward referencing in Chapters 1–3 enables the reader to identify which of the subsequent chapters are of particular interest. Summary bullet points at the beginning of each chapter also assist the reader to gain a quick insight into chapter content and assess its relevance.

Chapter 4 describes tourism and details the recent trends that are relevant to any discussion of climate change issues. An argument will be made as to the special nature of tourism and why it is important to pay attention to these specific characteristics when dealing with climate change issues. This chapter also discusses major tourist flows worldwide and the growing economic importance of tourism. Attention will be paid to the emergence of 'responsible tourism',...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Channel View Publications
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2007
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1845410661
• ISBN 13: 9781845410667
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 350
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Europaallee 1; Bad Hersfeld; 36244; Deutschland