Main challenges of climate change for tourism in post-industrial cities

With support from the UNIC4ER Seed Fund, an interdisciplinary collaboration between the University of Deusto’s “Leisure, Culture and Tourism for Social Transformation” research group and Tourism Geographies group at the University of Oulu will explore what are the main challenges of climate change regarding the tourism activity of post-industrial cities.

The EU and UNWTO are working together to develop sustainable growth models for tourism to achieve climate-neutral goals by 2050, including reducing emissions by 55% before 2030. The green transition is a primary focus for governments and international institutions. The carbon footprint is an essential aspect of the path towards increasing the industry's resilience. Assessing the carbon footprint is crucial, and tourism actors must respond immediately to decarbonization as tourism is highly exposed to the effects of climate change.

Through this initiative supported by the UNIC4ER Seed Fund the group will work on developing a common theoretical framework and agreement on measurements within scientific research. Hence, it will facilitate essential progress in managing tourism carbon footprints, as well as establish a deeper understanding of innovative practices in tourism.