Added: 02/09/2006 |
Climate and tourism are very closely connectedClimate and tourism are very closely connected.Tourism is one of the EU's most important and fastest growing industries. Climate and tourism usually go close to each other. Climate and weather change will impact upon tourism, which in turn impacts (through growing GHG emissions and associated environmental changes) on the climate. The effects and impacts of these complex interactions has to date not attracted either research effort nor gained the attention of stakeholders and policy makers.
Climate and tourism which depends on in are ones of the most important sectors of the economies of many small island states in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific and Indian Oceans; the industry is equally important to the Mediterranean island of Malta. In some Caribbean countries, the annual number of long-staying visitors (i.e., excluding cruise ship arrivals) far exceeds the size of the resident population; in some cases, the ratio of tourists to residents is greater than 2:1 (e.g., approximately 3:1 in Antigua and almost 6:1 in the Bahamas; see Caribbean Tourism Organization, 1996).
Tourism also is the largest single contributor to GNP in many islands. In 1995, for instance, this sector accounted for 69% and 53% of GNP in the Caribbean islands of Antigua and the Bahamas, respectively, and more than 10% in most other islands in the region. Tourism also earns valuable foreign exchange for these islands; the sector earned US$180 million in 1995 in the Maldives-more than 70% of the country's total foreign exchange earnings for that year. Moreover, tourism generates significant employment in many islands, such as the Bahamas-where three-quarters of the labor force is employed, directly or indirectly, in providing services to the industry.
Tourism is so vital to many small island societies that when there is contraction in the industry (and, hence, reduced earnings), the rate of national economic growth often declines. In such circumstances, provision of many essential services would be jeopardized, and other vital sectors (e.g., health, education, and welfare)-whose budgetary allocations may be influenced by tourism earnings-also may be affected.
Weather barometer affects tourism in many ways, directly and indirectly. Loss of beaches to erosion; inundation; degradation of ecosystems and related impacts (e.g., loss of coral reefs to bleaching, saline intrusion); and damage to critical infrastructure are only a few consequences that could undermine the tourism resource base of vulnerable small island states (Alm et al., 1993). Although some of these impacts also can be triggered by non-climate-related factors, there is a growing consensus that climate change is likely to precipitate such changes, and that they would be disruptive (Holthus et al., 1992; Pernetta, 1992; Sestini, 1992; IPCC, 1996, WG II, Box 9-3; SPREP, 1996). There is evidence that any such dislocation in the tourism sector would have severe repercussions for the economic, political, and sociocultural life of many small islands.
Tourists require guarantee for expected Climate and tourism conditions for the time that they visit (unconcerned about any other time). Tour operators and planners are interested in seasonal distributions. For forecasting tourist demands, and to plan to attract tourists to the same location at different times. E.g summer vacations, winter sun holidays.
Length of time when the sun casts an obvious shadow. The total daily hours cannot exceed the hours of daylight. This varies with latitude and season. Inversely proportional to cloud cover and rain but also influenced by other factors (e.g. pollution). Sunshine.
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