The Travel Foundation has today announced the first six destinations to trial a new method to identify climate-related risks in tourism, and invited other destinations and businesses to get involved. The Climate RiskScan project is a collaboration with researchers from CELTH, a collective of Dutch universities, and risk and resilience scientists from Risklayer in Germany.
As extreme weather events increasingly disrupt travel and cost the global economy billions each year as tourism emissions continue to rise, this project is pioneering new approaches to help destinations and tourism businesses identify, prioritise and respond to growing climate risks. Climate RiskScan will cover:
- Physical risks, such as damage from extreme weather
- Transition risks, such as reputational damage and policy shifts
- Systemic risks, such as rising insurance costs
The methodology will ultimately be used to generate risk profiles for every tourism destination worldwide. Insights from the six pilot locations, representing both winter and island tourism, will help refine the approach, demonstrate the benefits of integrating climate risk into strategic planning, and showcase best practices already underway.
The winter tourism destinations are:
- Colorado, USA (Colorado Tourism Office)
- The Dolomites, Italy (Skirama Dolomiti)
- Queenstown, New Zealand (Destination Queenstown)
The island destinations are:
- The Canary Islands, Spain (Canary Islands Tourism)
- The Cook Islands (Cook Islands Tourism Corporation)
- Koh Samui, Thailand (TOGETHER NZT Project, PMUC, TSRI and Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Ramkhamhaeng University)
An online tool to access climate risk profiles is being developed in collaboration with UX and AI specialists at Holiday Extras, a long-time supporter of the Travel Foundation. A second tool, featuring scenario planning and gamification, will help destination stakeholders explore policy options and trade-offs for managing climate risks.
This project marks an important step forward in helping tourism destinations and companies understand the business case for action on climate. By working directly with destinations that represent key tourism typologies, we are building the tools and insights the sector needs to prepare for the future and mobilise resources for economic resilience. Collaboration with the scientific community and local partners to apply robust methodologies to the destination management context is crucial to this effort. Jeremy Sampson, CEO of the Travel Foundation
Harald Buijtendijk, senior researcher at Breda University of Applied Sciences, added: Our goal is to turn climate science into practical guidance that destinations can act upon. Our partnership with the Travel Foundation ensures that this research will have real-world relevance and impact across the tourism sector.
Opportunities to get involved
With the case study destinations now confirmed, the project team is inviting other destinations and tourism businesses to become sponsors. A £5,000 contribution offers the opportunity to connect with a global network of peers, access leading climate experts and research, and contribute their perspectives to the final report. Click here for more information.
The Centre for Expertise Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality (CELTH) has co-funded the project and brought together an expert team from Breda University of Applied Sciences, European Tourism Futures Institute at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, and Wageningen University & Research.
Key findings will be released in time for the COP30 climate summit in Brazil this November, with full results published soon after and made freely available on the Travel Foundation website.
About CELTH
The Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality (CELTH) is a knowledge centre set up by Breda University of Applied Sciences, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and HZ University of Applied Sciences. CELTH consists of a team of senior researchers, project managers and programme managers who are deeply involved with the domain of leisure, tourism and hospitality. CELTH aims to encourage public-private partnerships between universities of applied sciences and industry partners. www.celth.nl/en
About Breda University of Applied Sciences
Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) is a Dutch higher education institute. About 7,000 Dutch and international students from some 80 countries are studying at BUas. It is one of the world’s largest universities for applied sciences in the fields of tourism, leisure and hospitality. www.buas.nl/en
About the European Tourism Futures Institute
The European Tourism Futures Institute (ETFI) at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences is a leader in futures studies and scenario planning for the travel and tourism sector. Through applied and academic research, they support industry associations, government authorities and businesses with designing strategies, business models and concepts for the future. As a research institute at a university of applied sciences, ETFI provides a crucial link between research, education and industry practices. www.etfi.nl
About Wageningen University & Research
Wageningen University & Research, a collaboration between Wageningen University and the Wageningen Research foundation, has 7,044 employees, 13,564 students and 64,117 alumni. It is a globally important centre for life sciences and agricultural research. www.wur.nl/en.htm
About Risklayer
Risklayer was founded in 2014 by five scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, united by a shared mission to advance risk and resilience science. Combining cutting-edge technology with strategic partnerships, Risklayer develops innovative solutions to build resilience and sustainability across the tourism sector. With a focus on reducing vulnerability to disasters and climate change, their work is helping to shape a more secure and sustainable future—starting with tourism, and extending far beyond. www.risklayer.com
About Holiday Extras
Holiday Extras has over 40 years’ experience of providing ancillary travel services, including airport parking, airport hotels, airport lounges, airport transfers, car hire, holiday insurance and UK breaks. Combining innovative technology with award-winning customer service, Holiday Extras’ expert team helps over 8 million travellers every year with their travel needs. www.holidayextras.com
About the Travel Foundation
The Travel Foundation is a leading global NGO and charity that works in partnership with governments, businesses, and communities to develop and manage tourism in a way that maximizes the benefits for communities and the environment. Founded in 2003, it has worked in over 30 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk.
Ben Lyman
Head of Communications at the Travel Foundation
The Travel Foundation
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