In hospitality we are used to assessing multiple risks to our businesses – and there are many. Competition for both customers and staff, economic downturns, changing customer demands and more; many are daily challenges which need regular attention.
In addition to the traditional risks we are used to combatting, climate change must now be added to the list. While many in hospitality have always had seasonal highs and lows to consider, rising temperatures, increasingly severe storms and natural disasters are now seen across the globe. Heat waves, droughts and wildfires are becoming more frequent and widespread, erosion and rising sea levels are threatening our coastal communities, changes to the ecosystem threaten food production and water access; the list, unfortunately, is growing.
All sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry are highly vulnerable to climate change, often in a multitude of ways. Impacts to tourism include:
Weather patterns: Changes in weather patterns and natural disasters are affecting the availability and quality of tourism activities, such as skiing, beach vacations, and wildlife watching.Coastal changes: Rising sea levels and increased coastal erosion are threatening coastal tourism destinations and infrastructure, as well as the local communities.
Tourism seasons: Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns are affecting the timing and duration of peak tourism seasons.
Ecosystems: The effects of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity are impacting nature-based tourism.
Eco Tourism: Increasing concern about the environmental impact of travel is leading to a shift in consumer behavior towards more sustainable tourism options.
Supply chain disruptions: Food availability and quality may be disrupted by changes to weather patterns, temperatures and access to water, while transport delays and other disruptions may hit our supply chains overall.
We need only to look at recent events for examples. The European ski season was delayed by lack of snow; meanwhile, travel was seriously disrupted in the US by severe winter storms which stretched across the country. And in what is usually the driest time of the year, New Zealand’s North Island has just in the last weeks been hit with torrential rains and a cyclone which have caused life-threatening floods and brought much of the region to a halt.
What, then, can hospitality and tourism do to fight back against climate change?
First, as an industry which is a significant contributor to emissions, we have a responsibility to innovate and implement changes to address environmental concerns and improve our business practices. Every sector of the industry has a part to play, from reductions in fuel consumption and waste to sourcing local foods and suppliers. Unfortunately, financial concerns and a lack of human resources sometimes holds businesses back; however, there are an increasing number of resources and technologies which can help. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), for example, has free resources for hotels which are struggling with where to begin: 12 basic actions strategically designed by the global hotel industry with the aim of raising the level of sustainability across the sector. New builds and businesses, meanwhile, have the advantage of incorporating better practices from the start.
Second, in order to survive many in the industry will have to adapt; tourism businesses and destinations which depend on seasonal activities and numbers will struggle. This may mean starting or extending alternative activities; some ski resorts, for example, reopened mountain biking this past season while waiting for the snow to fall. New technologies, too, may help. Aviation is always seeking ways to reduce weight in order to improve fuel efficiencies, and both they and other transportation businesses are looking to new weather tech such as Tomorrow.io for more accurate forecasts. This could also be useful for hotels and tour companies looking to plan activities and forecast occupancy; we may not be able to improve the weather, but we can mitigate customer dissatisfaction by being prepared.
The impact of climate change should be front of mind for all of us, as individuals and as part of a vulnerable industry. The good news is that we have the power to make a difference if we act collectively. Increasingly, the consumer is demanding we do just that, with eco travel continuing to be a trend in 2023 and customers increasingly seeking out businesses which are genuinely committed to sustainability as part of their business practices. The resilience of the industry depends upon our ability and willingness to take action, become more adaptable and work together to make a difference.