WTO warns of climate change hazards
The World Tourism Organisation has called for more research into climate change as hurricanes and floods threaten the “health and safety” of the industry.
Secretary general Francesco Frangialli said businesses, tourists and economies which rely on tourism all face dangers from the unpredictable and volatile climate.
He told a conference on climate that more research is needed to assess the full impact climate change is having – and will continue to have in the future.
“Climate change will constitute an increasing risk for tourism operations in many destinations,” he said. “With many tourism activities heavily dependent on the climate and insurance policies increasingly affected by natural hazards, accurate weather forecasting of extreme events are becoming ever more important for tourism businesses.
“Whatever the environmental outcome, tourism cannot be seen in isolation,” he went on. “Major changes in the pattern of tourism demand will lead to a wider impact on many areas of economic and social policy.”
Frangialli said beach destinations, winter sports resorts and all outdoor activities rely on a stable climate on a daily basis.
The long term effects of extreme weather also have a damaging knock-on effect with images of hurricanes and flooding deterring people from travelling and hitting local economies.
Report by Steve Jones
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