Abstract

Climate change is one of the major issues facing us today and has been described as a threat greater than terrorism. As the world's largest industry tourism both contributes to and will be dramatically affected by climate change. This is the first comprehensive book-level examination of the relationship between tourism and climate change, of interest not only to students of tourism but to policy makers and the industry who will have to respond to the challenges posed.

Climate change is arguably the most significant global environmental issue of this century. Among its wide-ranging impacts are the effects on the character and quality of tourism resources. Hall and Higham (Univ. of Otago, New Zealand) provide a timely assessment of the state of knowledge on this topic… this book is a significant contribution to the literature and will be a key reference for tourism researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. It is suitable for graduate-level and possibly senior-level undergraduate courses. Y.-F. Leung, North Carolina State University

It is encouraging to see a scholarly contribution concerning climate change and tourism especially at a time when too many in the tourism industry and academic community appear either sceptical or indifferent to the world about them. The editors are to be congratulated for assembling a wide range of tourism topics in which climate plays a part, written by some of the most competent contributors in the field. This book should be a must-have on the reading list of every tourism course as well as in every department and institutional library. Bryan Farrell, University of California, in Tourismos Volume 1, Number 1 This edited volume covers every aspect of the relationship between tourism and climate change, and the state of the art in this field. This book provides a good introduction to the current state of research on tourism and climate change.

Colin Michael Hall is PhD from the University of Western Australia and previous positions at the University of Canberra, University of New England, Massey University and the University of Otago. Currently co-editor of Current Issues in Tourism and Professor, University of Canterbury; Docent, University of Oulu; Visiting Professor, Linnaeus University; and Senior Research Fellow, University of Johannesburg.

James Higham holds the position of Professor of Tourism, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, and Visiting Professor of Sustainable Tourism, University of Stavanger, Norway. His research is situated in the broad field of tourism and global environmental change, which in recent years has focused on climate change, tourist behaviour and transitions to a low-carbon future. 

This text draws on a wealth of relevant contributors and explores the complex inter-relationships between tourism and climate change in a thoughtful, yet gratifyingly accessible manner.

This book is a must read for anyone with a long-term mindset about the management of tourism, since it is the first to examine in depth the effects of climate change on this sector and to consider how stakeholders should be responding. Dr. David B. Weaver, Professor of Tourism & Events Management School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism