Six destinations join Travel Foundation’s climate risks project

Six destinations around the world have joined a pioneering project run by the Travel Foundation to prepare for rising climate risks in tourism.

 

The tourist boards and organisations represent three winter tourism locations – Colorado, the Dolomites and Queenstown, New Zealand (pictured) – plus three island destinations: the Canary Islands, the Cook Islands and Koh Samui, Thailand.

 

As part of the Climate RiskScan project, they will trial a new method to identify climate-related risks in tourism.

 

The project is a collaboration with researchers from CELTH, a collective of Dutch universities, and risk and resilience scientists from Risklayer in Germany.

 

It will cover physical risks, such as damage from extreme weather; transition risks, such as reputational damage and policy shifts; and systemic risks, such as rising insurance costs.

 

The methodology will ultimately be used to generate risk profiles for every tourism destination.

 

An online tool to access climate risk profiles is being developed 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.

 

Jeremy Sampson, chief executive 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.”

 

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.”

 

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.

 

Key findings will be released in time for the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil in November, with full results published soon after and made freely available on the Travel Foundation website.