Climate Change and Tourism

Human Activities: Increase greenhouse gases

- Carbon Dioxide: Burning of fossil fuels (e.g. oil gas coal).

- Methane: Waste, Fuming (cattle), Coal mines and gas leaks.
- Halocarbons (CFCs): Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Plastics Foams.

Impact on Climate Change on Tourism:

a. Affect on natural attraction;

- Coral reef is bleaching (by sun ray, by industrial pollution)
- Waterfall becomes dry.
- Less snow in the mountain or ski resort.
- Coastal and beach has been destroying and threats of popular tourist island by the raise of sea
level.
- Affect on tourists behavior. Tourist might be sensitive to issue of climate change and prefer
to travel closer to home.
- Limit of natural resources e.g. water.
“Most hotels and resorts in popular destinations depend on natural environment such as resort by the
beach, resort in the mountain and ski resorts, all of them reply on the natural beauty and good weather
condition to attract travelers.”

Is “Tourism” partly to be blamed for Climate Change? How Tourism can help?

Government:
- Encourage good environmental practice.
- Set law and regulation for controlling fossil fuel emission e.g. plane, private car.
- Create campaign to raise awareness among tourism industry, local community and tourists.
- Introduce a more environmental friendly tourism activity.

Local:
- Protect and conserve the environment in the tourist destination.
- Advice tourist on environmental practice.

Media:
- Raise awareness on the climate change.

Tourism Industry:
- Combine with law and regulation on environment.
- Use environmental friendly or green product.
- Create more green area for hotels and resorts.
- Introduce more environmental tour programme/activities for tourist e.g. ecotourism.
- Encourage staff as well as tourist in helping to reduce climate change.
- Use of renewable resources of energy such as solar or wind power.
 - Engage in environmental campaign.

Tourist:

- Use more public transport cycling or walking.

- Support green hotel or tour operator that have environmental programme.

- Engage in environmental activity e.g. planting tree in tourism destination.

- Try to reduce waste and energy usage during holiday.

- Encourage family and friends to help conserve energy when travel.

“Climate change creates negative impact on tourism system. The best way to avoid or reduce climate
change crisis is to exercise or encourage a sustainable tourism because sustainable tourism is about
conservation of natural resources. Sustainability is minimizing pollution, waste usage which is cause of
global warming.”

The future is in our hand. Together we can help to minimize the climate change impacts.