Climate Change and Tourism in Southern Africa

This book explores the nature of climate change in southern Africa, its impacts on tourism and the resilience, adaptation and governance needs in various tourism operations and environments.

"The relationship between climate change and tourism has for too long been under-researched in the southern African context. This extremely welcome volume makes a timely contribution to highlighting the potential repercussions of climate change and its management for the economically significant yet also extremely vulnerable tourism and hospitality sectors. Drawing on wider themes of resilience and sustainability, as well as issues of mitigation and adaptation, this book will provide a valuable benchmark for African climate change and tourism education and research." Professor C. Michael Hall, Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury "Tourism has emerged as an increasingly important contributor to the economy of southern African countries and, despite the enormous setbacks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, remains a significant development factor going forward. The relationships between tourism and the environment - and climate in particular - are multi-dimensional and complex, such that a deeper understanding of their dynamics is needed - especially in the era of anthropogenic climate change. The authors here present a convincing and comprehensive analysis of the challenges to the tourism industry brought about by a rapidly changing climate and, in so doing, offer a timely and authoritative perspective on an issue that has considerable relevance to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the region." Professor Michael E. Meadows, President of the International Geographical Union

Autorentext

Jarkko Saarinen is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Oulu, Finland, and Distinguished Visiting Professor (Sustainability Management) at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Jennifer Fitchett is Associate Professor of Physical Geography at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Gijsbert Hoogendoorn is Professor of Geography in the Department of Geography at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Inhalt

Contents

List of illustrations

List of contributors

Preface and acknowledgements

1 Introduction

2 Climate and climate change of southern Africa

3 Perspectives for approaching climate resource and change in tourism

4 Methods for tourism and climate change research in southern Africa

5 Climate change risks to southern African tourism

6 Destination resilience, vulnerabilities, and climate change threats

7 Adaptation to climate change by the southern African tourism sector

8 The role of tourism in contributing to climate change

9 Governance and policy needs in tourism and climate change relations

10 Conclusions and a way forward

References

Index