The Relationship between Tourism and Climate Change - Literature review Example

The Relationship between Tourism and Climate Change: Policy Options to Address Climate Change Impacts Introduction This essay is divided into two major sections, each one of them containing specific information about the subject of tourism and climate change. In the first section, a detailed evaluation of the connection between tourism and climate change is presented. The relationship is evaluated in terms of two different perspectives. In the first one, different ways in which tourism contributes to climate change are examined. On the other hand, the different ways in which climate change affects tourism as a whole are examined as well. The point is to demonstrate the dual nature of the relationship between tourism and climate change. In the second section, a detailed evaluation of the general policy environment with regard to the link between tourism and climate change is evaluated. Once again, the evaluation is on a twofold perspective. For the first one, a detailed evaluation of the policy framework on how tourism contributes to climate change is presented. The aim is to evaluate how successful the policies are in helping to reduce the different modes in which tourism contributes to climate change. For the second perspective, the impact of the broader policy environment in helping the tourism industry to manage the impacts of climate change is evaluated. The relationship between tourism and climate change The relationship between tourism and climate change can best be understood as a two- way one. On one hand are the different ways in which tourism contributes to climate change while on the other are the different ways in which climate change affects the tourism industry in general. Tourism contributes to climate change in several ways. In general, tourism is responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases which, in turn, contribute to climate change through global warming. Several studies have been conducted to determine the extent to which tourism activities contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. For instance, Peeters (2010, p. 73) identifies three key activities within the tourism industry that are responsible for emission of greenhouse gases as accommodation, overall air transport and local activities by tourists. Of all these elements, transport activities are pointed out as the major source of greenhouse gases that directly cause global warming, therefore contributing to climate change. The extent to which tourism as an industry contributes to overall emissions of greenhouse gases has been a subject of concern. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) (2011, p. 1) observes that tourism in general contributes about 5% of the global carbon emissions. Further, the contribution of carbon emissions by various subsectors of the industry keeps changing over time, with current estimates indicating that air transport, car transport and accommodation activities are the greatest contributors to the emissions (UNWTO, 2011, p. 2). This implies that although tourism in general is a small contributor to climate change when it is compared with other industries such as manufacturing and the extractive industries, the fact that the industry still makes a contribution to the emission of greenhouse gases and that it is directly affected by the effects of climate change make it necessary for measures to be put in place to reduce its contribution to the emissions. The high level of contribution of transport activities associated with tourism is as a result of a number of different factors. For instance, the fact that many tourists use relatively faster modes of transport for their long trips between their homes and tourist destinations means that these trips cause a significant amount of radiations and emission of greenhouse gases (Peeters 2010, p. 68). Apart from emission of greenhouse gases, there are several other ways in which tourism contributes to climate change. Hernandez and Ryan (2011, p. 81) observe that several studies have been done on different ways in which tourism contributes to climate change in different contexts. One of the contexts is seen in the impact that tourism has on natural resources such as water, biodiversity and special ecosystems within coastal regions. Another one is the impact that tourism has on energy consumption. With increased tourism activities such as transport and accommodation, there is a link to the amount of energy that is used, which leads to an increase in the levels of emission of greenhouse gases. On the other hand, there are several ways in which climate change affects tourism. First, there is the danger of direct climatic impacts arising from changes in the duration and significance of tourism seasons that depend on the climate (Schott 2007, p. 5). Such shifts in the weather that arise from climate change lead to changes in the tourism activities in different areas of the world. The end result is that the profitability and competitiveness of different tourism enterprises is affected over time. Second, climatic changes have an indirect impact on tourism. This happens in several ways. For instance, climate change leads to alteration of landscapes, reduction in water supply, damages to infrastructure, changes in the coastal areas and destruction of natural habitats that act as attractions for tourism activities (Schott 2007, p. 6). When such environmental and ecological changes occur due to the direct impact of global warming and climate change in general, the end result is that the pattern and overall practice of tourism is affected. Further, the demand for and choices of tourist destinations depend on climatic variables. Because of this, changes in climate have present consequences in the form of affecting the demand for particular destinations and also affect future scenarios in the form of sustainability of particular tourist destinations (Hernandez & Ryan 2011, p. 83). Therefore, the impact of climate change on tourism can be evaluated in terms of immediate economic consequences following changes in bookings, demand and overall flows of tourists in particular regions as well as future ones in the form of sustainability of the different enterprises over the long-term. Lastly, climate change has a direct impact on tourism within specific regions of the world. For instance, Paul (n.d, p. 40), identifies the two areas whose tourism is greatly affected by climate change as mountain regions and the seaside and coastal resorts. This is because with increased changes in the climate, the demand for winter sports, a key tourist attraction in the mountainous regions, is set to reduce. Similarly, changes in climate lead to beach erosion, shortages of water supply and higher sea level, resulting in a reduction in the level of tourist activities in such regions. Policy options on the link between tourism and climate change Policy options on the connection between tourism and climate change can be understood in terms of the different policies that have been developed to address the relationship, their impact in terms of addressing the desired needs and ethical concerns that the options might present. One perspective in the general policy environment with regard to the correlation between climate change and tourism is that which focuses on adaptation. In general, adaptation policies are seen as those that seek to reduce the different ways in which tourism is affected by climate change as a way of achieving sustainability in the long-term. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2008, p. 16), adapting to climate change in the tourism industry can be seen in terms of how well the industry as a system with its constituent elements or value chains is able to adjust to the impacts of changes in climate and take advantage of any opportunities that are presented. To this end, the capacity of the different elements of the tourism industry to adapt to climate change varies with the individual consumers or tourists having a high capacity while hotels, resorts and the communities that host tourism activities have a low capacity to adapt (UNEP 2008, p. 18). Several countries have adopted different policies that seek to enhance the overall ability of their tourism sectors to adjust to changes occasioned by climatic changes. For example, whereas countries such Australia and the United Kingdom seek to develop an overall framework for adaptation to climate change that focuses on raising awareness of and the level of participation in research programmes, others like Germany and France seek through research how the challenges posed by climate change can be turned into opportunities (Gossling 2010, p. 4). On the other hand, Kajan and Saarinen (2013, p. 175), identify several different approaches to climate change adaptation policies in tourism as follows: those that are developed within the context of businesses, those that focus on the changing behaviour of the tourists, and those that are developed with reference to changes in tourist destinations and within the context of the overall policy framework. Adaptation measures and policies that are based on business enterprises seek to develop alternative strategies that can help tourist enterprises to reduce their level of contribution to climate change (Kajan & Saarinen 2013, p. 177). This happens primarily by focusing on diversifying the products and services that are offered to the market. On the other hand, policies that are based on changing the behaviour of tourists seek to reduce the overall impact of the industry on climate change by sensitising tourists on the trends and issues with regard to climate change (Kajan & Saarinen 2013, p. 178). Apart from seeking to develop the capacity of different elements of the tourism sector to adjust to variations caused by changes in climate, policy options on the connection between tourism and climatic changes have sought to mitigate the impact that tourism has on climate change directly and indirectly. Since tourism, through its many different activities, contributes to climate change directly and indirectly, mitigation policies are adopted as a means of reducing the overall extent to which tourism as a sector contributes to climate change. In general, mitigation is based on the need to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by tourism activities like the different forms of travel and accommodation at the tourist sites (Kajan & Saarinen 2013, p. 180). According to UNEP (2008, p. 67), a conceptual framework for mitigating the contribution of tourism to climate change seeks to enable different players in the industry to achieve carbon neutrality. Thus, organisations seek to achieve three important things: know the estimates of the amount of greenhouse gases they produce, initiate measures to reduce their production of greenhouse gases and purchase carbon offsets as a way of ensuring that they achieve complete neutrality in the production of greenhouse gases. This is achieved by eliminating particular practices that contribute to emissions, adopting energy efficient practices and substituting high carbon footprint activities with those that produce less carbon (UNEP 2008, p. 68). For organisations to achieve this level of carbon emissions, there are several policy approaches that are necessary. For instance, policies may be focused on the market by seeking to remove extreme subsidies on energy, enhance emission trading among countries and leverage taxes as a means of helping organisations in the tourism industry reduce their level of emissions (Gossling 2010, p. 13). Further, mitigation policies may be based on regulating and standardising operations in the entire industry. Such policies seek to help organisations reduce their level of emission of greenhouse gases by requiring them to adhere to strict standards and regulations with regard to buildings, making purchases and use of electrical appliances (Gossling 2010, p. 17). Apart from all the activities that are undertaken by organisations under the policies discussed before, mitigation efforts in the tourism industry have been focused on the transport component. This is because transport, and in particular air transport, is the biggest contributor to global warming because it releases the greenhouse gases directly to the atmosphere where they cause global warming (Hernandez & Ryan 2011, p. 84). Because of this, many mitigation policies seek to help reduce this trend by recommending various steps like replacing air transport with other forms of transport and using shorter, less polluting trips. Such measures seek to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions within the tourism sector. Conclusion In this essay, it has been seen that tourism and climate change are related to each other in that tourism contributes to climatic changes while the effects of climate change are borne by the tourism industry. It is in response to the nature of this relationship that the policies that have been formulated to address climate change impacts are in two broad categories: those that seek to tone down the contribution of tourism to climate change and those that seek to help players in the tourism industry successfully adapt to the changes occasioned by climate change. Through different regulatory frameworks that emphasise different approaches to the issue, all the policies seek to enable organisations in the tourism sector to develop their capacity to adapt to climate change while reducing their carbon footprint. References Gossling, S 2010, ‘Tourism and climate change: policies for mitigation and adaptation’, Presentation at the workshop on sustainable development strategies and tourism, 18th June 2010, OECD, Paris, viewed 11 September 2014, . Hernandez, AB & Ryan, G 2011, ‘Coping with climate change in the tourism industry: a review and agenda for future research’, Tourism and Hospitality Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 79-90, viewed 11 September 2014, . Kajan, E & Saarinen, J 2013, ‘Tourism, climate change and adaptation: a review’, Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 167-195, viewed 11 September 2014, Paul, D n.d., The impact of climate change on tourism, viewed on 11 September 2014, . Peeters, P 2010, ‘Tourism transport, technology and carbon dioxide emissions’, in C Schott (ed.), Tourism and implications of climate change: issues and actions, Emerald Group, Bingley, pp. 67-90. Schott, D 2007, Climate change and tourism: responding to global challenges, viewed 11 September 2014, UNEP 2008, Climate change adaptation and mitigation in the tourism sector: frameworks, tools and practices, UNEP Manuals on Sustainable Tourism, viewed 11 September 2014, . UNWTO 2011, Tourism and climate change, viewed 11 September 2014, . Read More

This implies that although tourism in general is a small contributor to climate change when it is compared with other industries such as manufacturing and the extractive industries, the fact that the industry still makes a contribution to the emission of greenhouse gases and that it is directly affected by the effects of climate change make it necessary for measures to be put in place to reduce its contribution to the emissions. The high level of contribution of transport activities associated with tourism is as a result of a number of different factors.

For instance, the fact that many tourists use relatively faster modes of transport for their long trips between their homes and tourist destinations means that these trips cause a significant amount of radiations and emission of greenhouse gases (Peeters 2010, p. 68). Apart from emission of greenhouse gases, there are several other ways in which tourism contributes to climate change. Hernandez and Ryan (2011, p. 81) observe that several studies have been done on different ways in which tourism contributes to climate change in different contexts.

One of the contexts is seen in the impact that tourism has on natural resources such as water, biodiversity and special ecosystems within coastal regions. Another one is the impact that tourism has on energy consumption. With increased tourism activities such as transport and accommodation, there is a link to the amount of energy that is used, which leads to an increase in the levels of emission of greenhouse gases. On the other hand, there are several ways in which climate change affects tourism.

First, there is the danger of direct climatic impacts arising from changes in the duration and significance of tourism seasons that depend on the climate (Schott 2007, p. 5). Such shifts in the weather that arise from climate change lead to changes in the tourism activities in different areas of the world. The end result is that the profitability and competitiveness of different tourism enterprises is affected over time. Second, climatic changes have an indirect impact on tourism. This happens in several ways.

For instance, climate change leads to alteration of landscapes, reduction in water supply, damages to infrastructure, changes in the coastal areas and destruction of natural habitats that act as attractions for tourism activities (Schott 2007, p. 6). When such environmental and ecological changes occur due to the direct impact of global warming and climate change in general, the end result is that the pattern and overall practice of tourism is affected. Further, the demand for and choices of tourist destinations depend on climatic variables.

Because of this, changes in climate have present consequences in the form of affecting the demand for particular destinations and also affect future scenarios in the form of sustainability of particular tourist destinations (Hernandez & Ryan 2011, p. 83). Therefore, the impact of climate change on tourism can be evaluated in terms of immediate economic consequences following changes in bookings, demand and overall flows of tourists in particular regions as well as future ones in the form of sustainability of the different enterprises over the long-term.

Lastly, climate change has a direct impact on tourism within specific regions of the world. For instance, Paul (n.d, p. 40), identifies the two areas whose tourism is greatly affected by climate change as mountain regions and the seaside and coastal resorts. This is because with increased changes in the climate, the demand for winter sports, a key tourist attraction in the mountainous regions, is set to reduce. Similarly, changes in climate lead to beach erosion, shortages of water supply and higher sea level, resulting in a reduction in the level of tourist activities in such regions.

Policy options on the link between tourism and climate change Policy options on the connection between tourism and climate change can be understood in terms of the different policies that have been developed to address the relationship, their impact in terms of addressing the desired needs and ethical concerns that the options might present.

Read More