Climate adaptation
Adapting to a changing climate
is critical to maintaining Europe's
competitiveness as a year-round destination
Can Europe handle the heat?
Adaptation to our changing climate is a pre-condition for the resilience of European destinations and the infrastructure on which they depend. Impact on tourism is already evident in booking patterns, operational obstacles and client perception.
Europe is warming more than twice as fast as the global average. Working out how to keep buildings, vehicles, cities and people cool is as necessary as water fountains and winter heating. Seasonal resorts must re-invent.
Strategic adaptation is needed, but practical changes need urgent consideration by government, such as early and late opening for museums and permission to run air-conditioning in low-emissions vehicles prior to passengers boarding.
Common operational challenges
The impact of European heatwaves on tours operations is clear. Members are reporting a range operational challenges they face due to the extreme heat in Europe this summer. All of these have client-service implications.
- Inconsistent rules on free drinking water
- Walking tours difficult in extreme heat
- Limited cooling in venues
- Transport disruptions
- Restricted access for air-conditioned coaches
ETOA Policy & Practical Support
ETOA declared a climate emergency in 2020, has a climate action plan, and engages with destinations and policy makers across of range of forums: EU Roundtable in Climate Risk Management; UN Habit/UN Environmental Programme; OECD; the European Commission’s newly formed Tourism Crisis Coordination Network.