Six leading destinations join pioneering project to prepare for rising climate risks in tourism

Climate Risks for Destinations

As extreme weather events increasingly disrupt travel and cost the global economy billions each year, as tourism emissions continue to rise, this project is pioneering new approaches to help destinations and tourism businesses identify, prioritise and respond to growing climate risks. Climate RiskScan will cover:

• Physical risks, such as damage from extreme weather
• Transition risks, such as reputational damage and policy shifts
• Systemic risks, such as rising insurance costs

The methodology will ultimately be used to generate risk profiles for every tourism destination worldwide. Insights from the six pilot locations, representing both winter and island tourism, will help refine the approach, demonstrate the benefits of integrating climate risk into strategic planning, and showcase best practices already underway. 

The winter tourism destinations are:

• Colorado, USA (Colorado Tourism Office)
• The Dolomites, Italy (Skirama Dolomiti)
• Queenstown, New Zealand (Destination Queenstown)

The island destinations are:

• The Canary Islands, Spain (Canary Islands Tourism)
• The Cook Islands (Cook Islands Tourism Corporation)
• Koh Samui, Thailand (TOGETHER NZT Project, PMUC, TSRI and Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Ramkhamhaeng University)

An online tool to access climate risk profiles is being developed in collaboration with UX and AI specialists at Holiday Extras, a long-time supporter of the Travel Foundation. A second tool, featuring scenario planning and gamification, will help destination stakeholders explore policy options and trade-offs for managing climate risks.

Important step forward

Jeremy Sampson, CEO of the Travel Foundation, said: “This project marks an important step forward in helping tourism destinations and companies understand the business case for action on climate. By working directly with destinations that represent key tourism typologies, we are building the tools and insights the sector needs to prepare for the future and mobilise resources for economic resilience. Collaboration with the scientific community and local partners to apply robust methodologies to the destination management context is crucial to this effort.”

Harald Buijtendijk, senior researcher at Breda University of Applied Sciences, added: “Our goal is to turn climate science into practical guidance that destinations can act upon. Our partnership with the Travel Foundation ensures that this research will have real-world relevance and impact across the tourism sector.”

Opportunities to get involved

With the case study destinations now confirmed, the project team is inviting other destinations and tourism businesses to become sponsors. A £5,000 contribution offers the opportunity to connect with a global network of peers, access leading climate experts and research, and contribute their perspectives to the final report. Click here for more information. 

CELTH

The Centre for Expertise Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality (CELTH) has co-funded the project and brought together an expert team from Breda University of Applied Sciences, the European Tourism Futures Institute at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, and Wageningen University & Research.

Key findings will be released in time for the COP30 climate summit in Brazil this November, with full results published soon after and made freely available on the Travel Foundation website.