The impact of climate change on tourism destinations
Photo by Sean Foster
Weather isn’t a constant factor, as we all know. Depending on the year, there might be more rainy vs. dry days or hot vs. cool days. Despite this, seasonal patterns are supposed to be pretty predictable: hot weather in the summer months, cold in the winter, and so on.
Climate change, however, is having a major impact on seasonal weather patterns, meaning that the weather we used to count on in different seasons is changing. Temperature extremes, heavy rainfall, and other atypical weather events caused by climate change are affecting everything from ecosystems to agriculture.
Read more to see what this means for your next trip.
Why We Have Seasons
Seasons change as the Earth orbits the sun. The planet is tilted, which changes the amount of sunlight that different parts of the world get throughout the year. This is why the seasons are reversed in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Areas that are closer to the equator get pretty consistent sunlight all year long and have less temperature variation. In places where daylight hours and heat fluctuate significantly, there are distinct seasons. We depend on fairly consistent seasonal weather patterns to grow crops, feed wildlife, and have enough usable water for everyone. Unfortunately, climate change is making those weather patterns a lot more extreme and unpredictable, even though the Earth continues to orbit the sun as usual.
The same goes for tourism, seasons have a huge impact on both in-land and coastal destinations alike. Predictability, especially for sports like skiing, snowboarding and surfing is paramount to the tourism appeal of seasonal destinations. The changes being witnessed have already had an impact on mountain destinations’ snow cover, leaving tourists left vying for smaller pistes in these less than ideal conditions. In coastal and island destinations, there have also been shifts in weather patterns causing wildfires in dry areas and heavy monsoons in tropical locations. With these visible effects becoming more present in our daily lives and travel plans, climate change is set to change the face of tourism if we, as a society, fail to halt its trajectory.
If it continues on its course, climate change will impact destinations in the following ways.
1. Extreme Temperature Swings
Spring is a transitional season, meaning that early spring can be quite chilly. Most plants don’t really start growing until the danger of frost has passed. Farmers plan their crops carefully to help prevent losses due to cold weather.
Climate change is having an effect on temperatures, however, meaning that extreme temperature swings are affecting plant development, wildlife, pollination, and more. Temperature swings in late spring can cause devastating losses, as fruit growers in the Northeast have experienced firsthand. Just one cold night at the wrong time can affect entire ecosystems and crops.
This can impact key supply chains, including those that produce products that are highly sought after by tourists. Think of France without wine or Greece without honey: climate change will make these types of products more scarce, and the quality less than what it once was.
2. Changes in Rainfall
Water makes life on Earth possible. When there isn’t enough rainfall, droughts can occur. This can cause major problems for wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on. Droughts also affect agriculture and daily life for people who live in drought-prone areas. They can make wildfires more likely and affect air quality for hundreds and hundreds of miles.
Areas that will see more rain thanks to climate change will have other problems to deal with. Intense flooding not only causes extensive damage but can pose a threat to public health in a number of ways, such as carrying waterborne pathogens.
As climate change continues to affect rainfall, some areas will experience more droughts than normal, which will disrupt food production in many areas. People will have to limit their water usage, which can be a challenge during hot, dry weather. Areas seeing heavier rainfall will see significant damage to homes and businesses. People will have to deal with flooded homes and property loss. Agriculture will also be disrupted due to flooding.
Many tourism establishments already facing the challenge of supplying water to guests will need to rethink how water is sourced, used and repurposed to meet consumption needs and increase self reliance.
3. Summer Heatwaves
Summer is supposed to be the warmest season of the year. However, many places are seeing higher temperatures than average during the summer months, which has an impact on both humans and ecosystems. Heatwaves, especially, can be extremely dangerous.
On average, the number of heat waves has tripled since the 1960s, and they’re getting longer as well. A heatwave can bring on heat exhaustion, dehydration, and even death from heatstroke. People and animals who live without air conditioning are at significant risk during a heatwave.
Instead of opting for the increased use of air conditioning, which has a sizable carbon footprint, hotels and resorts in areas prone to heat waves will need to build with natural cooling techniques in mind to provide guests with a sustainable escape from the heat. For those already in operation, behavioral nudging will need to be used to equip tourists with the tools to keep their rooms cool, i.e. by closing blinds when leaving the room.
4. Reduction in Snowfall
Just as climate change is affecting rainfall, it also has an impact on snowfall. Some regions are experiencing less snowfall than normal, which leads to reductions in the available snowpack. As melting snow is an important water source, a lack of snow and early melting can lead to a combination of low water availability and soil erosion from large amounts of snow melting at once.
Although less serious than other consequences of reduced snowfall, it does also have an impact on winter sports. People who enjoy skiing, snowboarding, skating, and other winter activities might have to make other plans or settle for a less enjoyable experience.
While less than ideal, destinations that rely on snowfalls should diversify tourism offerings and attractions in the case of reduced snowfall or poor conditions. By doing so, tourists will be able to take part in alternative activities, even when conditions are good, which can bring added value to destinations.
5. More Intense Storms and Weather Events
Overall, climate change is having a major impact on the frequency and severity of storms and other extreme weather events. Tornados, dust storms, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and other types of storms can lead to deaths, injuries, property damage, illness, crop loss, and a whole host of other problems. Over the last decade, we have been seeing more and more of these events occur as climate change accelerates.
Coastal resorts and hotels facing heavier rains and more unpredictable storms will need to secure their infrastructure and adapt their disaster risk management plans to enhance resilience and continue operations.
Changes in Weather Affect All Areas of Life
The planet’s ability to support life is tied to the weather. When changes in weather patterns affect one species, they start a domino effect that can have far-reaching consequences.
As humans, the weather has an impact on our ability to grow food, stay comfortable, and enjoy our accustomed way of life. When the weather changes, we see disruptions in certain supplies and activities that we value including our travel plans.
While it won’t be possible to prevent all the changes that lie ahead, we owe it to the planet (and to ourselves) to do everything we can to minimize the impact we have on the climate. By doing so, we will help slow and prevent changes to change the destinations that we know and love.
Sea Going Green is a sustainable tourism consultancy working with the tourism industry to lower their environmental footprint and enhance resilience within operations and at the destination level.