*New e-publication: “Tourism Development in a Changing Climate”* *Backgrounds and Perspectives on the Role of Tourism in International Climate Politics*

Tourism Development in a Changing Climate 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 flows. Would changes in travel behaviour that benefit 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 poor people 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, Naturefriends International, Naturefriends Austria, Climate Alliance Austria and the German Church Development Service EED.

Download the e-publication free of charge http://respect.at/media/pdf/pdf1299.pdf

Tags: climate change, eco-friendly tour, ecotourism, Tourism Development