1st Edition
Climate Change and Tourism in Southern Africa
This book explores the nature of climate change in southern Africa, its impacts on tourism and the resilience, adaptation and governance needs in various tourism operations and environments. Previous studies on climate change and tourism have mainly focused on the Global North and specific forms of tourism such as snow-based winter activities. Drawing on case studies from a wide range of countries including South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, this book fills this lacuna by describing and analysing the climate change and tourism nexus in the southern African context. The book begins by providing an overview of the current and estimated impacts of climate change to the tourism industry in the region, highlighting the deepening socio-economic inequities, and environmental and social injustices. It focuses on the importance of sustainable tourism in tackling these issues and highlights that resilience and robust governance and policy systems are essential for a tourism destination to successfully adapt to change. By synthesising the key lessons learned through this analysis, Climate Change and Tourism in Southern Africa also draws attention to specific adaptation and policy strategies which have value for other regions in the Global South. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, tourism and environmental policy and justice.
Contents
List of illustrations
List of contributors
Preface and acknowledgements
1 Introduction
2 Climate and climate change of southern Africa
3 Perspectives for approaching climate resource and change in tourism
4 Methods for tourism and climate change research in southern Africa
5 Climate change risks to southern African tourism
6 Destination resilience, vulnerabilities, and climate change threats
7 Adaptation to climate change by the southern African tourism sector
8 The role of tourism in contributing to climate change
9 Governance and policy needs in tourism and climate change relations
10 Conclusions and a way forward
References
Index
Biography
Jarkko Saarinen is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Oulu, Finland, and Distinguished Visiting Professor (Sustainability Management) at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Jennifer Fitchett is Associate Professor of Physical Geography at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Gijsbert Hoogendoorn is Professor of Geography in the Department of Geography at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
"The relationship between climate change and tourism has for too long been under-researched in the southern African context. This extremely welcome volume makes a timely contribution to highlighting the potential repercussions of climate change and its management for the economically significant yet also extremely vulnerable tourism and hospitality sectors. Drawing on wider themes of resilience and sustainability, as well as issues of mitigation and adaptation, this book will provide a valuable benchmark for African climate change and tourism education and research."
Professor C. Michael Hall, Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury
"Tourism has emerged as an increasingly important contributor to the economy of southern African countries and, despite the enormous setbacks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, remains a significant development factor going forward. The relationships between tourism and the environment - and climate in particular - are multi-dimensional and complex, such that a deeper understanding of their dynamics is needed - especially in the era of anthropogenic climate change. The authors here present a convincing and comprehensive analysis of the challenges to the tourism industry brought about by a rapidly changing climate and, in so doing, offer a timely and authoritative perspective on an issue that has considerable relevance to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the region."
Professor Michael E. Meadows, President of the International Geographical Union
