Sustainable tourism in the light of the Copernicus report
At noon on May 4, 2024, the temperature in a mountain village nestled between the Mátra and Bükk Mountains was 34 degrees. Since 1850, when temperature data has been continuously recorded, 2023 was the warmest year on Earth.
It should be added that Europe's three warmest years on record have all occurred since 2020 - and after the past few months, we are sure to set another record this year. But how will extreme heat affect the development of tourism in the coming years, and what should the tourism sector prepare for now if it wants to remain competitive during the climate crisis?
Extreme heat has been the leading cause of weather- and climate-related deaths in Europe since 1970, according to the 2023 Copernicus report, which found that 23 of the 30 largest heatwaves in recent years have occurred since 2000, with five in the last three years. Between 55,000 and 72,000 deaths were estimated to have been attributed to heatwaves in the summers of 2003, 2010 and 2022.
The report highlights that heatwave-related deaths in the World Health Organization's European Region have increased by an estimated 301% over the past 20 years. Between 2000 and 2020, heat-related deaths increased by 941% in the monitored European regions.
How does all this affect tourism?
Rethinking seasonality
The trend of local residents moving out of their homes in southern countries during the summer months, choosing cooler, primarily mountainous destinations, has been visible for years. The unbearable heat has also discouraged foreign tourists, which has been exacerbated by the increasing threat of forest fires and storms (in 2023 alone, 36,000 people were affected by forest fires and 550,000 people by storms in Europe). Due to the hectic weather and the problems caused by warming, seasonality is expected to be reconsidered in the coming period.
From climate anxiety to awareness
The climate crisis, which is now felt in everyday life, is increasing people's climate anxiety. It is expected that this process will trigger a much greater awareness in the choice of tourist destinations than at present - that is, international sustainable tourism certifications will play a much greater role, which convey the same clear sustainability value messages everywhere in the world. The Green Destionations Good Travel Seal That is why the "Score-card" is now available in the program, which clearly shows guests which standards a given service provider meets in 12 areas of sustainability.
The need for energy renewal in the tourism service sector
2023 marked the first time that the average temperature of every day in a year was 1°C above the pre-industrial level between 1850 and 1900. Nearly 50% of the days were more than 1.5°C warmer than the 1850-1900 level, and there were two days in November that were warmer than 2°C, according to the Copernicus report.
The recent energy crisis has highlighted the need for an energy rethinking of tourism services. This process will only grow stronger: it is now a basic criterion for an accommodation or restaurant to have air conditioning during the summer months. However, ensuring a continuous power supply and increasing the energy efficiency of buildings has become vital not only because of the energy vulnerability caused by the war, but also for future operations.
Short supply chains, local products
It is hard to imagine that future tourists will give up visiting their bucket list destinations because of global warming, just because it involves harmful emissions. The goal is not to stop people from traveling because of warming – that is why tourism service providers and destinations must be able to offer solutions that reduce tourism’s ecological footprint and harmful emissions. One of the first steps in this is to rethink the use of raw materials in tourism. This not only reduces harmful emissions, but also contributes to the development of unique gastronomic destinations (see, for example, Bükk Circle Edible forest initiative).
Sources:
- https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2023-hottest-year-record
- https://climate.copernicus.eu/sites/default/files/custom-uploads/ESOTC%202023/ESOTC_2023_summary_final_word-layout.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3zbAQEU_Qj4MiL8XIIB0KowckSNjHJ63TDWHD2aU0qf6iJq2gSqTF7SsQ_aem_AWrVaZNSPveb_L41q_TBl31ktMF0LxzJtaQFTAgNVPMA-IxNncIULCJ4UnYHCVxRfjHxAs5SeeIQVKFjzbO7cv6D
