Destination RiskScan: Innovation for Tourism Destinations in a Warming World
Tourist destinations are increasingly vulnerable to climate risks. Stakeholders in destinations often do not sufficiently understand these risks and would benefit from knowledge about the extent to which they are exposed to climate risks and what they can do about them. However, there is currently a lack of coherent and smart climate risk strategies at destination level. As international tourism companies can flexibly shift tourist flows to alternative destinations, this has implications for the future sustainability of tourism in these destinations, especially destinations vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Goal
In this project, we are therefore developing an online climate risk scan for destinations with which destinations can discover their risk profile. We are also developing an online climate risk assessment tool that allows destinations to use a serious game to gain insight into various smart interventions that can reduce their exposure to climate risks.
Using these two tools, the project aims to:
- Increase awareness of climate change among destinations.
- Provide destinations with knowledge and tools to assess vulnerabilities and prioritize investments and innovation to strengthen their resilience.
- Provide insights to global tourism organisations to help destinations better manage climate risks.
Approach
In the first phase, we develop a climate risk scan for destinations that allows destinations to map their climate risks at the system level. To this end, the climate risks for tourism are identified and categorised, and their mutual relationship is mapped out. Suitable indicators are also defined.
In the second phase, so-called climate risk typologies are developed based on the climate risk framework. These climate risk typologies allow tourist destinations to be categorised based on their exposure to climate risks. This ultimately results in a widely available online application destinations can use to discover their climate risk typology.
In the third phase, an offline serious game is developed that helps destinations identify common intervention options for reducing their climate risk vulnerabilities in the short, medium and long term.
Link with education
As part of the course 'International Field Project (12 ECT), students from the BSc Tourism program at Breda University of Applied Science and Wageningen University will collect case studies in various regional destinations in the Western Balkans region, in which they use value chain analyzes to map out stakeholder perspectives on climate change and the consequences for tourism in this part of Europe.
Partners
- The Travel Foundation
- Breda University of Applied Sciences
- European Tourism Futures Institute
- Wageningen University & Research
Project team
- Harald Buijtendijk (Buas)
- Noël Middelhoek (ETFI)
- Cheryl van Adrichem (WUR)
- Bas Amelung (WUR)
- Kevin Hutchinson (Buas)
Planning
January 2025-December 2026
Status
Ongoing