The ClimAlpTour-team of Innsbruck University conducted various climate change workshops in its three pilot sites:

Brandnertal

Stubaital

Wilder Kaiser.

The results of these workshops are now available for download:

Ergebnisbericht Workshops Österreich

Results of Austrian Workshops

Discussions on Climate Change Adaptation in the Alpine area on 30 - 31 March 2011,
at the Regional Museum of Natural Science in Turin (Italy)

The ClimAlpTour e-tool allows end-users - local administrations, NGOs, stakeholders - to explore alternative adaptation strategies with reference to future climate change scenarios for each case study area.

On Noveber 27th IREALP organized a workshop in the municipality of Angolo Terme (BS) on the issue of climate change and its impacts on alpine tourism, with particular reference to the pilot area chosen by the Institute, Presolana-Monte Pora.

In order to contribute to the process of disseminating information and awareness raising on this issue it has been published a report which presents further developments on the subjects illustrated during the workshop (alpine climate variations, effects on alpine winter tourism, the multifunctional role of agriculture in the mountains and its possible integrations with the tourist sector).

The final part of the report includes a description of the pilot area ‘Presolana – Monte Pora’ and the results obtained from the analyses, as well as the accomplished and expected activities. Since the project will be concluded in September 2011, this part of the report should be considered ‘open-ended’, meaning that it will be integrated with the results of forthcoming activities.

Italian and English version available

The new publication by Naturefriends International and respect - Institute for Integrative Tourism and Development illustrates the critical role of tour operators in climate change mitigation. It shows that the European market leaders in tourism have so far not sufficiently met their climate responsibility, especially in the areas of product policy and customer information.

“Tour operators currently find themselves in a dilemma with regard to climate change: On the one hand, they do recognize that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is essential for protecting their product - and their economic success - in the long run. On the other hand, effective mitigation strategies would entail a fundamental reorganisation of their contemporary business models. The strategic expansion of some segments with strong demand, such as long-haul holidays or short trips, are not compatible with emission reductions. However, due to current market forces and short-term thinking, decision makers in the tourism industry are still reluctant to implement ‘real’ measures for combating climate change. Therefore, they also miss out relevant long-term opportunities.”

This is the conclusion of Andreas Zotz, the author of the publication. His diploma thesis with the same title has been awarded in the final round of the Austrian tourism research contest “Tourissimus 2009”. The study examines the reaction of big tour operators to the challenge of climate change and offers proposals for solutions. The focus of interest is set on voluntary mitigation measures, as part of the operators´ “Corporate Social Responsibility”.

Tour operators are an integral part of the international tourism industry. Nowadays, their role extends far beyond their original wholesaling function. Due to strategic mergers, consistent market expansion and engagement in other business areas along the value chain, such as accommodation, transport or incoming operations, the travel industry is currently dominated by few but strong actors. The strategic decisions of these market leaders will therefore have a tremendous impact on the climate performance of the entire travel industry. Thus, they play a key role in the transformation of tourism into a “green economic sector” – which is a declared goal of the UN World Tourism Organization.

Dans le cadre de la charte pour un développement durable élaborée avec le soutien de l’ADEME, 10 stations de montagne françaises viennent de réaliser un bilan carbone® de leurs activités. Cette première est à l'initiative de

l’Association Nationale des Maires des Stations de Montagne (ANMSM) / Ski France en partenariat avec l’ADEME et Mountain Riders. Présentés le 13 janvier au Sénat, ces premiers bilans carbone® s'inscrivent dans le cadre de

la Charte nationale en faveur du développement durable de l'ANMSM, lancée en 2007 et qui réunit à ce jour 52 stations signataires, soit plus de la moitié des stations Ski France.

La montagne fait ainsi figure de pionnière puisqu’il s’agit de la seule destination touristique française à s’être livrée collectivement à cet exercice pour dresser un état des lieux précis de ses émissions de Gaz à Effet de Serre (GES).......

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On the occasion of the climate conference COP 15 in Copenhagen, respect and partners illustrate backgrounds and perspectives on the role of tourism in international climate politics. The publication shows that the interrelations between climate change and international development present major challenges to the tourism sector.

In the countries of the North, travelling has become an integral part of the personal and professional lives of a large part of the population. Globally, tourism consumption is a privilege of a few. With their emissions from transportation, they contribute disproportionately to climate change. At the same time, it has often been suggested that the economies in many countries of the South are highly dependent on global tourism ?ows.

Would changes in travel behaviour that bene?t the climate be counterproductive when it comes to poverty eradication? This publication provides background information on this complex question which is relevant for both climate and development policies.

Tourism is one of the world‘s largest service sectors and a significant contributor to climate change. Nevertheless, it has so far not played a major role in climate politics, as the agendas of the international climate negotiations in Bali 2007, Poznan 2008 and Copenhagen 2009 have shown. The aviation sector in particular has for more than a decade been exempted from mitigation-related regulation.

It is the main source of the tourism sector’s emissions and yet there are no tangible reduction targets on the negotiating table. However, there is increasing political pressure on the travel and aviation industry to pay a fair share of the climate-related costs from 2012, once the post-Kyoto agreement enters into force.

These costs include both the costs of mitigation to curb global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the costs of helping developing countries to adapt to those consequences of climate change that cannot be prevented, such as natural disasters, food shortages and loss of land due to rising sea levels.

The e-publication is presented by the respect Institute for Integrative Tourism and Development, in cooperation with Naturefriends International, Naturefriends Austria, Climate Alliance Austria and the German Church Development Service EED.

This analysis, performed by IREALP within the ClimAlpTour project, aims to provide a current overview of alpine tourism in Lombardy, considering the tourist offer during both winter and summer season and the flows generated in recent years.

The analysis of climate predictions for this part of the Alpine arc tries to point out which ski areas are expected to suffer in mid-long term because of the lack of snowfall.

Finally, in view of the changes expected in climate, it shows which adaptation and management strategies have been taken, both at regional and local level.

(Italian and English version availables)