Field of Action Tourism | Umweltbundesamt

Adaptation of winter tourism

In the low mountain ranges and lower-lying areas of the Alps, a significant decline in snow guarantee in winter sports areas has been observed over the last 50 years with rising air temperatures and changes in precipitation. In general, different strategies of adaptation to decreasing snow guarantee can be considered: physical, technical and social (behavioural) adaptation.

Physical adaptation: One option of physical adaptation would be a shift of ski tourism to higher snow-sure ski areas. This option would mean that ski slopes, cable cars and chairlifts would also have to "grow" with it. However, this strategy faces some obstacles. The climate change scenarios assume wetter winters, which mean heavier snowfall at higher altitudes. This should make the higher-altitude ski areas even more snow-sure. However, the additional snow is also likely to increase the risk of avalanches, leading to disruptions or interruptions in skiing operations. From an economic point of view, the expansion of existing ski areas to higher altitudes is associated with high costs. In addition, ecosystems at higher altitudes are particularly sensitive. Here, there may be resistance from environmental and nature conservation associations. The option of skiing on other continents is not justifiable, as air travel is associated with high climate-damaging emissions.

Technical adaptation: Technical adaptation to decreasing snow guarantee includes snowmaking facilities with storage reservoirs including the pipelines that supply these facilities, all types of lift facilities (e.g. chair and ski lifts, cable cars) as well as special technical measures such as cloud seeding and snow protection. Technical snowmaking on ski slopes is now becoming increasingly important for many ski resorts in Germany. However, artificial snowmaking can only counteract the lack of snow to a limited extent, as temperatures below 4° Celsius and sufficient water are usually required for this. In many German ski resorts in low mountain ranges, this temperature limit will probably be reached less frequently in the future. The complex installation and the very water- and energy-intensive operation of snow-making systems also increase the costs for ski resorts. In addition, artificial snowmaking is associated with major ecological disadvantages, such as increasing water and energy consumption. To ensure the water supply for snow production, water storage basins or artificial lakes are built in the mountains. Their construction has a negative impact on the environment and nature, as new roads have to be built to facilitate access to such heights. The constructed reservoirs are also vulnerable to flooding, rockfalls and avalanches. The water bound in the artificial snow accumulates as meltwater in spring, which could increase flooding. Snowmaking should only be considered as a transitional measure to adapt to climate change. In addition, various strategies are used to extend the duration of snow cover on ski slopes. For example, their useful life can be extended through wind protection and shading. Through daily maintenance and cleaning of the slopes in winter, additional days can be gained thanks to the higher albedo value of the snow. In snow farming, snow fences are installed to prevent new snow from blowing away and to collect it. There is also the option of protecting existing snow from heat with special textiles so that it remains available for longer. In some regions of northern Europe, different underground storage techniques are used to preserve snow for several months and from one season to the next. Finally, cloud seeding can be used as a technical option, whereby chemical reagents are injected into the clouds to force a snowfall.

Social (behavioural) adaptation: In addition to physical and technological adaptation options, behavioural adaptation strategies in winter tourism also come into question. These range from the acceptance of artificial snow and alternative offers, operational practices and financial instruments to a diversification of tourism offers. The acceptance of artificial snow depends both on the willingness of tourists to share the costs of artificial snow and on their attitude towards artificial snow slopes in the midst of a snow-free landscape. It also requires the acceptance of a shorter season and other activities not necessarily linked to snow. As far as operational practices are concerned, it would be possible here for ski area operators to change the modalities of season design as well as the opening and closing dates of ski slopes. Snow insurance can be considered as a financial instrument to protect snow area operators from financial losses. Losses can occur if much less snow falls during a season than on average. For many ski resorts, diversification of the tourism offer, i.e. a change in the tourism offer from snow-dependent winter sports to an alternative offer, is a strategy to deal with potentially occurring climate changes. For many winter tourism destinations, a growth potential for health and adventure tourism is seen here. The offer includes winter walks and hikes, sports, fitness and wellness offers as indoor activities as well as the expansion of cultural offers (e. g. concerts, exhibitions) and the marketing of regional products.

Adaptation of summer tourism

For summer tourism, generally applicable adaptation strategies and options are difficult to identify, as the impacts of climate change on summer holidays and the different types are very complex.

One challenge with regard to coastal bathing and beach tourism is increasing storm surges and the erosion of coastal sections. This can be countered with an early warning system that informs tourism providers, tourists and residents in time about possible extreme weather events. Tourist infrastructure facilities can be protected with dikes and bulkheads within the framework of risk management concepts and thus made storm- and flood-proof. Other adaptation options can be buildings on stilts or moving sensitive infrastructure back inland. Sand erosion on beaches can be technically remedied. In order to maintain good water quality, protection of seas and bathing waters is required under the EC Bathing Water Directive. For the larger lakes, adaptation strategies tend not to be necessary. In regions where bathing tourism is negatively affected by a significant reduction of the water level (e. g. due to prolonged dry periods), pools represent an adaptation strategy. In the case of smaller bathing lakes that warm up considerably more, health-related pressures (e. g. due to algal blooms) can be countered by appropriate adaptation measures, such as avoiding nutrient inputs from agriculture and banning the feeding of ducks. In extreme cases, temporary bathing bans can be imposed. In order to avoid health impacts at warmed water bodies, water monitoring and communication of potential impacts are of particular importance.

In the field of hiking tourism, behavioural adaptation measures are required for hiking, nordic walking and strolling. Hiking in very hot weather (e. g. temperatures above 30°C) should generally be avoided for health reasons. Otherwise, as an adaptation strategy in hot weather, plan to walk in areas with a lot of shade (e. g. forest) or near a river or lake instead of in the open countryside. Forests not only provide shade, they also cool you down through evaporation. Hikes should also be avoided at the hottest times of the day (usually in the afternoon). Other options include: drinking enough, using sunscreen with a high sun protection factor to protect against UV radiation, wearing sunglasses, headgear and long-sleeved clothing. In the field of mountain hiking, climbing and high mountain tours, there are also many suggestions for adaptation strategies that can help to improve safety in the mountains under the conditions of climate change. These include measures and appropriate behaviours that concern the guest himself (e. g. careful planning of hikes and tours, use of appropriate and up-to-date maps and information material, use of a helmet, carrying a mobile phone). Furthermore, it is important to avoid risks that can be caused by heavy rainfall events, such as small-scale flooding, landslides and mudflows.

With regard to adaptation strategies in bike tourism, a distinction must be made between mountain biking and long-distance cycling. When developing mountain bike routes, the changed framework conditions in connection with climate change, in particular erosion hazards due to mudflows, landslides and rockfalls, must be considered. Due to heavy rainfall events, a comparably high expenditure for the rehabilitation and maintenance of bike lanes is otherwise to be expected here. For safety reasons, it may be necessary to temporarily close lanes. Further measures include the creation of special risk maps and improved markings and signs. In the case of long-distance cycle routes, it is important to increase protection against heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and heat by providing appropriate infrastructure. Resorts can adapt to the increased heat stress by shading the bike infrastructures. Since complete shading of existing bike lanes is possible at most in places and only at great expense, existing natural conditions can be used instead by relocating the course of the bike lanes to shady terrain (e. g. forest and woodland areas) or alleys. In addition to the bike lanes, the planning should also take into account sun-exposed places where tourists spend longer periods of time (e. g. picnic areas, benches, viewing areas). Trees, structural measures or a mixture of both (e. g. a green sun canopy) can be used as shading elements to increase the quality of stay. An advantage of a permanently installed sunshade can be that it can also be used as a shelter during a storm with high precipitation.

In the field of water sports tourism, canoeists can react to the increasing periods of low water by switching to other rivers and water bodies in other regions. There is also potential for adaptation measures through river restoration, such as the dismantling of a weir system or the removal of bank constructions, if this creates continuous passability or if the route becomes interesting for canoe slalom. Technical adaptation measures include artificial route or whitewater facilities where the conditions in the facility (change of speed and course) can be adapted to the athletes with the help of pumps or inflows. These facilities are not subject to natural fluctuations and can be an alternative during prolonged low water levels. Sailing may also require adaptation measures if it is a water body where low water levels occur frequently (e.g. shallow lakes). Since the centreboard is needed to steer the sailing boats, frequently occurring low water levels cannot be compensated. In this case, measures proposed are to dredge exit routes and areas of the sailing boat harbours deeper or to exclude certain boat classes.

Adaptation strategies and measures in golf tourism are particularly necessary where golf courses and golf resorts are exposed to drought stress. Possible adaptation strategies relate in particular to golf course maintenance and irrigation. To minimise stress on turf plants, turf maintenance is adjusted during heat and dry periods and mowing heights are increased to avoid heat damage to plants. To reduce water demands, lawn varieties can be selected that are more heat and drought tolerant and have lower water demands. Landscaping with trees and shrubs can also have a positive influence because shading can keep the surface temperature lower. The most important adaptation strategy for golf tourism is still considered to be irrigation systems and an increase in the permissible amounts of abstraction from ground or surface waters. An alternative is the construction of storage ponds for the irrigation of golf courses with rainwater. Irrigation that is as sustainable as possible requires continuous observation and recording of weather conditions, soil moisture as well as the maintenance measures that have been carried out, in order to be able to determine the irrigation amounts in line with demand as much as possible. Possible adaptation strategies also involve raising awareness among providers and users.

Adaptation of health tourism

Since the majority of health tourism offers are indoor offers, the climate risks (especially in relation to heat stress) are significantly lower. If the heat stress increases, air conditioning and cooling of buildings used for health tourism may become necessary as an adaptation measure. Due to the negative environmental balance of air conditioning systems, the high energy costs and the greater risk of failure compared to structural measures, this measure is not recommended. Instead, alternatives for cooling buildings and dealing with heat should be used. Various structural measures (e.g. thermal insulation, use of light-coloured building materials and colours), green measures (e.g. green roofs and facades) and organisational measures (e.g. information and advice on heat prevention, heat-adapted behaviour by choosing the right clothes, a sufficiently large fluid intake) can be used against the overheating of buildings in summer. In summer, indoor activities such as wellness and fitness training may well become less attractive due to rising temperatures, for example compared to swimming in the sea and lakes or other activities on offer such as cycling and hiking. For the outdoor activities of health tourism, adaptation options come into question, as they do for the different types of summer tourism.

Adaptation of tourism infrastructures

Extreme weather events such as heat and drought periods, heavy rain, floods and low water as well as storms and storm surges can have an impact on tourism infrastructure. Possible adaptation measures differ depending on the region and type of tourism. In coastal regions, flood dikes protect not only the population but also tourist facilities from storm surges. Weather conditions that lead to flooding can result in greater water level fluctuations at inland lakes and rivers. Water-bound infrastructures such as footbridges may be flooded more often or become inaccessible on the water side at low water levels, thus restricting bathing and the use of boats and canoes. As an adaptation measure, floating footbridges can be an alternative to fixed jetties. Due to heavy rainfall events and the melting of permafrost, erosion phenomena are increasingly to be expected in mountain regions, which can lead to damage to cable car installations, lift pylons, as well as hotel and restaurant buildings, and which can possibly only be re-fixed and rehabilitated at great financial expense.

Landslides and rockfalls also cause damage to hiking trails and bike lanes. In order to prepare for these developments and to provide the safest possible bike and hiking infrastructure for users, various preventive measures can be taken: the removal of loose rock on and above the affected paths, ongoing removal of damaged areas, the installation of safety measures such as rockfall nets or retaining walls, the adaptation of path surfaces with asphalt surfaces that withstand floods better than water-bound surfaces, the temporary closure or abandonment of paths for safety reasons, the designation of alternative routes, the installation of information boards, the monitoring of critical points and the establishment of an early warning system. With regard to heat stress, the shading of existing bike and hiking path infrastructures by trees and tall shrubs as well as heat-free path guidance are important adaptation measures.

Adaptation to (changed) demand

In tourism, clear statements on future changes in demand due to climate change and on corresponding adaptation measures to a changed demand are currently still associated with great uncertainties. One reason for this on the demand side is the complexity of a travel decision, which depends on many factors (e. g. individual preferences, socio-demographic and economic factors). Accordingly, it is difficult to assess travel decisions in advance or to control them in a targeted manner. This also makes controlling interventions in terms of climate adaptation on the demand side considerably more difficult. At this point in time, it can be assumed that the influence of climate change on travel decisions plays a rather subordinate role in the overall context of the numerous factors that influence tourism demand.

Nevertheless, tourism stakeholders are already confronted with regional changes in demand due to climate change on a small scale and will be increasingly so in the future. This applies in particular to activities that cannot be carried out during extreme weather events (e. g. boat rentals, tree climbing trails), destinations with a very special and at the same time weather-sensitive offer, destinations with weather-sensitive accessibility (e. g. islands that cannot be reached during storms) and destinations with an increased risk of being affected by extreme events (e. g. towns and cities on river courses at risk of flooding). For these providers and locations, it is already the case and will increasingly be the case in the future that they must prepare themselves at an early stage for the climate change-related challenges ahead by taking suitable adaptation measures.