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The Challenge of Climate Change and Net-Zero Emissions for Destinations

  • Martin Balas und Marius Mayer
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Tourism Destination Development
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Tourism Destination Development

Abstract

Climate change is a double-edged sword for tourism destinations, as they are at the same time victims of climate change impacts and considerable emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG). To reach the aspirational goals of the Paris Agreement, GHG emissions must be reduced drastically to net zero by 2050 and in most EU countries even by 2045. Destinations cannot stand back and have to participate in the tourism industry’s efforts to meet this globally accepted goal. In the meantime, many destinations are already affected to a varying degree by the impacts of climate change, e.g. ski destinations by declining snow reliability, urban destinations by intense heat waves, rural destinations by declining water levels in lakes and rivers, etc. Therefore, the first part of this chapter aims to contextualise the climate crisis in tourism destinations and to elaborate the idea of net zero for destinations from a conceptual perspective: How does climate change impact destinations, how can GHG emissions be mitigated strategically as well as target-oriented and what is needed for adaptation? In the second part of this chapter, we present two case studies: The first one features the efforts of the German state of Lower Saxony to develop strategies for climate adaptation in tourism. The destination management organisation (DMO) of Lower Saxony initiated participatory processes for all of the 15 local destinations in the state to establish specific climate adaptation plans that simultaneously support the overall sustainable development of tourism in the regions. Hence, this case presents necessary steps, crucial measures, but also obstacles on the development path to climate resilient tourism. The second case study deals with the Tyrolean Kaunertal, a high alpine valley awarded the accolade ‘Best Tourism Village’ in 2021 by the UNWTO which, as a glacier (ski) destination, is strongly affected by climate change. Accelerated glacier shrinkage has led to a halt in summer ski operations (which were the starting point of the ski area in 1980) and to considerable adaptation efforts by the operators regarding ski lifts and slopes, for instance intensive snow-farming activities. However, Kaunertal has also diversified its tourism offer to less-infrastructure and snow-dependent nature tourism activities in the Kaunergrat Nature Park. We close this chapter with discussion and conclusion sections which relate the two case studies to the conceptual part and sum up the main messages of our contribution.

Abstract

Climate change is a double-edged sword for tourism destinations, as they are at the same time victims of climate change impacts and considerable emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG). To reach the aspirational goals of the Paris Agreement, GHG emissions must be reduced drastically to net zero by 2050 and in most EU countries even by 2045. Destinations cannot stand back and have to participate in the tourism industry’s efforts to meet this globally accepted goal. In the meantime, many destinations are already affected to a varying degree by the impacts of climate change, e.g. ski destinations by declining snow reliability, urban destinations by intense heat waves, rural destinations by declining water levels in lakes and rivers, etc. Therefore, the first part of this chapter aims to contextualise the climate crisis in tourism destinations and to elaborate the idea of net zero for destinations from a conceptual perspective: How does climate change impact destinations, how can GHG emissions be mitigated strategically as well as target-oriented and what is needed for adaptation? In the second part of this chapter, we present two case studies: The first one features the efforts of the German state of Lower Saxony to develop strategies for climate adaptation in tourism. The destination management organisation (DMO) of Lower Saxony initiated participatory processes for all of the 15 local destinations in the state to establish specific climate adaptation plans that simultaneously support the overall sustainable development of tourism in the regions. Hence, this case presents necessary steps, crucial measures, but also obstacles on the development path to climate resilient tourism. The second case study deals with the Tyrolean Kaunertal, a high alpine valley awarded the accolade ‘Best Tourism Village’ in 2021 by the UNWTO which, as a glacier (ski) destination, is strongly affected by climate change. Accelerated glacier shrinkage has led to a halt in summer ski operations (which were the starting point of the ski area in 1980) and to considerable adaptation efforts by the operators regarding ski lifts and slopes, for instance intensive snow-farming activities. However, Kaunertal has also diversified its tourism offer to less-infrastructure and snow-dependent nature tourism activities in the Kaunergrat Nature Park. We close this chapter with discussion and conclusion sections which relate the two case studies to the conceptual part and sum up the main messages of our contribution.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Foreword VII
  3. Preface IX
  4. Contents XI
  5. The Need to Engage with Destination Development 1
  6. Part I: Developing Competitive Destinations
  7. Tourism Destinations: Risk, Management and Communication 11
  8. Destination Competitiveness and AI-based Methods 33
  9. Change Management Approaches to Encounter Rural Overtourism 55
  10. Visitor Management in Tourism Destinations: Current Challenges in Measuring and Managing Visitors’ Spatio-Temporal Behaviour 81
  11. Supporting Economically and Socially Sustainable Destination Development through Branding: Opportunities and Challenges 105
  12. Part II: Developing Sustainable Destinations
  13. From Global Frameworks to Local Meanings: Assessing Resilience for Sustainable Destinations through the Lens of Transdisciplinary Research 127
  14. Destination Resilience in the Context of COVID-19 and Its Hysteretic Impact on the Tourism System of South Tyrol 149
  15. Local Participation for a Higher Commitment to Destination Development 173
  16. Residents’ Attitudes and Sustainable Destination Development: Introducing the Tourism Acceptance Score 197
  17. Dogs, Frogs and Degrowth: Sustainable Development and Arctification as a Destination Development Dilemma in Northern Sweden 219
  18. Part III: Developing Accessible Destinations
  19. Principles and Practices of Effective Inclusive Stakeholder Community Engagement 243
  20. The Role of Universal Design in the Future of Tourism Planning and Development 261
  21. Developing Social Sustainable Tourism for and with People with Hidden Disabilities: Reflections from Fyn, Denmark 287
  22. Tourism Promotional Materials: Examining the Intersections of Accessibility and Inclusion 309
  23. Inclusive Destination Management Strategies 333
  24. Part IV: Developing Future-Proof Destinations
  25. Business as Usual or Completely Different? COVID-19 and Its Influence on the Participation in Tourism of the German Population 361
  26. Beyond Overtourism, Undertourism, the End of Tourism: New Perspectives for Urban Tourism 381
  27. Flight and Migration in the Context of Destinations: Conceptional Approaches and Empirical Insights Based on the Repurposing of Tourist Accommodation as Accommodation for Refugees – Case Study Bavaria 405
  28. The Challenge of Climate Change and Net-Zero Emissions for Destinations 425
  29. Techno-Utopia or Techno-Dystopia: Current and Future Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence Developments in Destinations 453
  30. The Contribution of Academia to Destination Development 473
  31. List of Figures 483
  32. List of Tables 487
  33. List of Contributors 489
  34. Index 497
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110794090-020

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Foreword VII
  3. Preface IX
  4. Contents XI
  5. The Need to Engage with Destination Development 1
  6. Part I: Developing Competitive Destinations
  7. Tourism Destinations: Risk, Management and Communication 11
  8. Destination Competitiveness and AI-based Methods 33
  9. Change Management Approaches to Encounter Rural Overtourism 55
  10. Visitor Management in Tourism Destinations: Current Challenges in Measuring and Managing Visitors’ Spatio-Temporal Behaviour 81
  11. Supporting Economically and Socially Sustainable Destination Development through Branding: Opportunities and Challenges 105
  12. Part II: Developing Sustainable Destinations
  13. From Global Frameworks to Local Meanings: Assessing Resilience for Sustainable Destinations through the Lens of Transdisciplinary Research 127
  14. Destination Resilience in the Context of COVID-19 and Its Hysteretic Impact on the Tourism System of South Tyrol 149
  15. Local Participation for a Higher Commitment to Destination Development 173
  16. Residents’ Attitudes and Sustainable Destination Development: Introducing the Tourism Acceptance Score 197
  17. Dogs, Frogs and Degrowth: Sustainable Development and Arctification as a Destination Development Dilemma in Northern Sweden 219
  18. Part III: Developing Accessible Destinations
  19. Principles and Practices of Effective Inclusive Stakeholder Community Engagement 243
  20. The Role of Universal Design in the Future of Tourism Planning and Development 261
  21. Developing Social Sustainable Tourism for and with People with Hidden Disabilities: Reflections from Fyn, Denmark 287
  22. Tourism Promotional Materials: Examining the Intersections of Accessibility and Inclusion 309
  23. Inclusive Destination Management Strategies 333
  24. Part IV: Developing Future-Proof Destinations
  25. Business as Usual or Completely Different? COVID-19 and Its Influence on the Participation in Tourism of the German Population 361
  26. Beyond Overtourism, Undertourism, the End of Tourism: New Perspectives for Urban Tourism 381
  27. Flight and Migration in the Context of Destinations: Conceptional Approaches and Empirical Insights Based on the Repurposing of Tourist Accommodation as Accommodation for Refugees – Case Study Bavaria 405
  28. The Challenge of Climate Change and Net-Zero Emissions for Destinations 425
  29. Techno-Utopia or Techno-Dystopia: Current and Future Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence Developments in Destinations 453
  30. The Contribution of Academia to Destination Development 473
  31. List of Figures 483
  32. List of Tables 487
  33. List of Contributors 489
  34. Index 497
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Heruntergeladen am 3.12.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110794090-020/html
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