ABSTRACT
Depending on the economic role of tourism in their particular area, regional and national governments are anxious to assess the consequences of climate change scenarios in terms of vulnerability or new market opportunities. Alpine skiing regions and seaside resorts prepare for a declining tourism industry, expecting enduring deficiencies in snow and fresh water supply (Parry 2000; Bürki et al. 2003). At the same time, cold-water resorts in higher latitudes hope that warmer temperatures could boost tourism in the form of diversified products and a prolonged season. There are a growing number of policy workshops, conferences, expert panels and think tanks established to advise the industry on future development strategies (see Chapter 1). However, in many cases, these are being projected at single cases – destinations or specific market segments – often making the discussion limited in scope. The focus is typically directed at curing already acute or expected direct symptoms of environmental change in order to maintain present levels of tourism activities.
