Tourism and climate change

The tourism industry is very vulnerable to climate change. Many of the most popular tourist destinations rely mainly on the natural environment. Coastal resorts, forests, wildlife habitats, alpine ski resorts, and northern areas – they all rely on attracting tourists to a combination of natural beauty, good weather and safe conditions. Climate change will undoubtedly affect many destinations. The terrible irony of the climate crisis is that some of the most beautiful and popular places in the world are also the most vulnerable. This means that with rising temperatures, rising sea levels, increasing extreme weather events (severe storms, droughts, flash floods, forest fires), drying up water sources and disappearance of natural habitats, these places face another devastating loss – the tourists.

Here's how climate change can affect tourism in Europe:

• More frequent periods of extreme heat will lead to discomfort in many resorts in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the number of days with temperatures above 40^oC is expected to increase.
• Winter tourism may be affected, as less snowfall and a shorter season are expected in the Alps and other European ski destinations.

Climate change is expected to increase the risk of a number of diseases in some parts of the world. This could lead to a decline in tourism.

Tourism is not only a potential victim of climate change. It also contributes to climate change, producing about 8% of total CO₂CO₂
carbon dioxide emissions. And this percentage is constantly growing. Air travel is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and thus increases the risk of continued global warming. A study published in Nature Climate Change in 2018 predicts that if measures are not taken to reduce the impact of tourism on greenhouse gas emissions, CO₂ emissions will increase by 4% each year.

The main activities related to tourism that have the greatest contribution to the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are:

• Transport – Almost half of total CO₂ emissions are generated during travel. The most polluting transport is air. Cars and motorcycles follow. Vehicles such as coaches, trains and ferries have less impact. Raising the standard of living in many countries has allowed more and more people around the world to travel. Along with many positive consequences such as growing cultural exchange and financial income, the threat of increasing CO₂ emissions is real.
• Tourist buildings and facilities – The construction processes and the operation of tourist buildings and facilities are activities that generate CO₂ emissions. Energy consumption in hotels and other tourist structures contributes to global climate change. The services with higher energy consumption are air conditioning and heating, followed by the use of various electrical appliances, kitchen equipment and lighting. Their impact on the environment can be significantly reduced if renewable energy sources are used to convert solar, wind or geothermal energy into heat or electricity. Tourist buildings and facilities also have an indirect impact on carbon emissions. The construction of new hotels, car parks and roads occupies an area that can be covered with trees or plants that absorb CO₂.
• Food – About a quarter of the world's carbon emissions are related to food preparation, but unfortunately about a third of the dishes served are not consumed and are discarded. "Champions" in this regard are the tourist sites offering "all inclusive" holiday offers. The solution to this challenge is neither easy nor unequivocal, but one way to overcome it is certainly to avoid wasting food.

All of these problems are often not widely known. That is why it is important to raise the awareness of tourism managers and tourists. Taking on the respective tourist route, it is important for the participants to learn how to respect and protect the environment.

There is a growing consensus among tourism stakeholders on how the sustainability of the sector in the future will depend on its ability to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is committed to accelerating the development of low-carbon tourism and the sector's contribution to international climate goals. At the COP26 meeting in Glasgow in 2021, a declaration of action on climate and tourism was signed, committing the countries to speed up action to reduce emissions from tourism by at least half over the next decade.

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