Climate change and tourism geographies

Climate change is no longer in the future, it is an evolving business and policy reality for tourism. Extreme weather events including heavy rainfall and flooding, drought, heat waves, storms, and wildfires have become more frequent and intense, affecting tourism destinations and demand everywhere in the world. Climate change also affects important tourism assets. Snowfall has become less reliable in many winter destinations, while sea level rise and ocean warming threaten resources such as beaches and coral reefs. There is also a rising cost of travel associated with climate change. All have in common that they will increasingly affect the global geography of travel and tourism. This paper provides an overview of the history of research into tourism and climate change, current research trends, as well as a discussion of key research gaps. It uses a geographical lens that centers on space, represented by destinations. Even though these interrelationships are now sufficiently well understood, there is limited evidence that industry or policy makers have internalized and act on this knowledge. Disruptions in tourism flows in time and space thus need to be anticipated.