Topic 2 Impact of climate change on tourism

Self-Directed Learning Activity

ItemsItems
Activity Title/Topic:How to make tourism sustainable in order to reduce it’s effect on climate change
Duration of Activity:This self-directed learning is planned for a total duration of 90 minutes
Learning Outcome:At the end of this activity, you should be able to identify the impact of tourism on climate change and good practices on individual and business level to minimize the effects
Materials Required:Paper and writing material, access to internet (computer, smartphone, tablet, ...).
Aim of Activity:Assess how tourism can affect climate and how you can reduce this impact as a tourist and as a tourism service provider

Step-by-step instructions:

After reading, reflect on the following issues:

  1. What do we mean by sustainable tourism?
  2. Name the top 5 causes generated by tourism worldwide, which contribute to climate change.
  3. How can we reduce these effects?

List three to five problems, generating climate change, which are the result of individual behavior of the tourist.

Find solutions which can reduce or prevent to appear these.

How can you become a tourist, who contributes to sustainable tourism by his/her actions, make a short guide for tourists.

Example to tourist guide:

  • Select the restaurants which prepare food from locally sourced food
  • Use public transport, bicycles, electric scooters, etc.
  • By locally made souvenirs
  • By handmade products
  • Visit more sites in the neighborhood or not to far from your quarters

List three to five problems, generating climate change, which are the result of companies working in tourism.

Find solutions which can reduce or prevent to appear these.

How can tourism service providers reduce the effect of tourism on climate change?

Example:

  • Use bio detergents in hotels
  • Reduce water usage
  • Prepare food from raw materials bought from local farmers

On a sheet of paper summarize the most important information. Make a list of both types of contribution (individual and business) to climate change through tourism and name one solution for each.

You can name existing solutions or specify good practices.

Choose the most important or interesting for you from the list gathered in the previous step and present it to your group.  Try to answer the following questions:

  • Are these problems/effects present in your region too, is it a global issue?
  • Are the tourism service providers prepared to face this issue?
  • Can you make a difference as an individual to solve this problem or to reduce the negative effects?