Climate change... Will it change the world's tourism map?

Weather of Arabia - Let's start first by talking about the picture above, which is of tourists struggling to bypass the flood waters in the famous city of Venice (Venice) in Italy, where more than 85% of the city was flooded in November 2019, and the mayor of Venice said at the time that climate change caused this The "tragic situation", how does climate change affect the tourist areas? Will it change the tourism map in the world?

Tourism and climate change

The natural environment, climate and safety are among the main factors that affect the choice of a tourist destination. However, the expectation that climate change will continue throughout the twenty-first century and beyond, with its dangerous repercussions, will also extend to the famous tourist destinations around the world. Beaches can be exposed to flooding, widespread forest fires, and intensified climatic phenomena such as storms, ocean warming, drought and melting glaciers.

Tourists have more resilience to the effects of climate change as they can avoid destinations that suffer from the negative effects of climate change, or change the timing of travel to avoid unfavorable weather conditions, and thus, the response of tourists to the impact of climate change on destinations and other attractions will reshape demand patterns and the tourism sector as a whole.

The impact of climate change does not stop at international tourist destinations, but also affects domestic tourism, as tourists face increased floods in rivers and seas in their countries, and increased periods of unusually hot weather, in addition to heavy rains, severe storms and the spread of forest fires.

Bad weather affects the infrastructure in popular tourist destinations such as beaches and hiking trails. If these facilities are destroyed due to weather phenomena, it will cost exorbitant money to rebuild.

Here we will review how climatic conditions affect different tourist places around the world.

Impact of climate change on coastal and island tourist destinations

Beach tourism is one of the most important types of tourism in the world, but coastal and island destinations are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including coastal erosion, algal blooms on beaches, changing coastal boundaries, storms, extreme weather events, sea level rise, and physical damage to infrastructure. infrastructure and facilities.

But the impact of climate change on different coastal areas will vary greatly, and it can be taken advantage of in some cases, for example, the tourism season in traditional beach destinations such as the Mediterranean may be prolonged, and winter can become more attractive to tourists, resulting in Expansion of tourism in such areas, and the northern coastal areas may also benefit from warmer summers, thus attracting more tourists and extending the summer tourism season.

Impact of climate change on mountain and winter tourist destinations

The consequences of climate change are not limited to tourist destinations in hot regions, but also extend to mountainous regions and snow-covered regions, where the rise in temperature leads to melting glaciers, changes in precipitation, increases in pests, and the shift of seasons, and the melting of snow has already begun in The Alps and the Arctic, which scientists call the "eternal thaw".

One of the direct consequences of global warming is that winter sports enthusiasts have to wait for a while until enough snow accumulates, and many ski resorts have begun to rely on artificial snow.

However, climate change may bring more opportunities in some areas, for example, shorter winters and longer summers may provide opportunities for other outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and mountain biking, i.e. the effects of climate change can be dealt with in areas Mountainous If people in the sector stimulate product and seasonal diversification, diversification could include building spas, using industrial snow, creating ski slopes to reduce the need for deep snow, and improving emergency preparedness.

Impact of climate change on forest tourism and biodiversity

National parks and forests are among the destinations that have gained much popularity in recent years due to their unusual nature. Some of the most popular recreational activities in such areas include bird watching and hiking, but experts believe that areas such as the Amazon rainforest, rich in biodiversity, are likely to be negatively affected by climate change.

Projections indicate that climate change will lead to a 12% increase in wildfires by 2050 in the Amazon Basin. Tourism activity declined.

Impact of climate change on safari destinations

The effects of climate change on safari destinations are already starting to show in many countries. In mid-2012, the main road to the Masai Mara National Reserve, one of Kenya's most popular tourist destinations, was closed for three days by floods, severely affecting tourism activities in the area.

The impact of climate change on ocean and sea tourism

The oceans occupy 70% of the Earth’s surface area and are home to a wide range of biodiversity, making them suitable for various recreational activities such as viewing marine wildlife, and ease of travel has led to an increased interest in marine wildlife, including whales, sharks, dolphins, sea lions and turtles. Experts say diving tourism is increasing at a rate of 20% annually, four times faster than global tourism.

Climate change is negatively affecting some tourist destinations for ocean and marine life, (such as the Great Barrier Reef along the coast of Australia) through processes such as ocean acidification, where coral reefs with a length of more than 2,300 km in 2016 and 2017 changed color due to high temperatures. Heat from climate change, in addition to the massive death of coral reefs, coral bleaching has also been observed in the Indian Ocean near Kenya, Tanzania, India and Sri Lanka. Bleaching threatens not only coral reefs, but the fish that depend on them as well.

The effects of climate change are not limited to one sector without the other. The World Economic Forum notes that the violent shift in weather due to climate change, can cause severe damage and financial losses to many sectors, and may lead companies to the point of bankruptcy.

Protect your business from climate change

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