Can the tourism industry adapt to climate change? Part 2: Rivers and ski resorts

From ski slopes to beach resorts, climate change is already impacting a travel and tourism industry estimated to be worth US5.81 trillion globally in 2021. In some areas the impact is barely perceptible while in others it has forced whole resorts to adapt and some to shut up shop completely.

This is the second in a series of three articles which look at vulnerable tourist spots around the world and their strategies to adapt. Part two looks at river and mountain destinations.

To cruise or not to cruise

River Rhine and River Danube: River cruising is a multi-billion-euro industry with the Danube and Rhine the most popular for river cruising in Europe. In recent years, both have suffered from drought. Last summer, water levels dropped as low as 30cm at Kaub on the Rhine, well below the 1.5m required for cruise ships. Consequently, passengers were bussed to navigable points on the river where they could resume their journey. Such occurrences, in the summer months, are becoming more frequent with tourists receiving text alerts as to whether they can cruise or not.

Climate adaptation initiatives are underway as these rivers are also relied upon to ship goods for businesses across Europe. For example, Germany imports nearly one-third of its coal, crude-oil and natural gas along the River Rhine (Kiel Institute for the World Economy, 2020).

There are engineering projects to deepen sections of the Rhine and raise its riverbed at renowned bottlenecks, and an ambitious proposal to canalise large sections. Cruise operators haven’t waited for them to come to fruition. Many have become logistical experts in contingency planning, such as operating two ships, one sailing south and the other north, so that in the event of climate disruption, passengers can disembark then embark further upstream to continue their journey.

The navigable issue is not only reserved for droughts. Storm floods also disrupt schedules. Over the years, the lower branches of the Rhine delta have been especially prone to flooding. However, an innovative Dutch government financed project, ‘Room for the River’, involved novel flood protection encompassing the rivers Rhine, Meuse, Waal and Ijssel. The project goal was to alleviate flood risk by giving room for the river to roam. This involved moving dykes, flooding polders, lowering groynes within the river bed to allow for more drainage, creating and deepening flood and overflow channels, eliminating obstacles, and constructing a ‘green river’ to serve as a flood bypass. This massive engineering task is bearing fruit.

A vintage to remember

Napa Valley, California and Rhône Valley France: Millions of would-be wine connoisseurs each year visit California’s vineyards. The in-state viticulture industry employs 325,000 people, with Napa Valley its epicentre. Similarly, the vineyards scattered along the 190 km long Rhône Valley are a notable tourist magnet. However, the increasing frequency of hotter, drier weather is affecting the grapes upon which they rely. The season is becoming less predictable which concerns growers. Last year, a mild winter followed by unseasonable warm temperatures in February and March saw an early-bud break, making vines more susceptible to spring frosts. Thankfully, frost damage was limited and despite heavy rains, conditions improved in mid-May with temperatures well above the seasonal average. The result was rapid vine growth and a harvest eight-days early.

To adapt, some wine producers are tapping into aquifers or switching to hardier grape varieties. For example, the Napa Valley is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon but could easily shift to Zinfandel which can handle higher temperatures. However, such a switch is not possible in France unless controllers relax their regulations. Another more radical option is to relocate to more temperate regions.

Case of decreasing snowlines

The Alps: Temperatures in the European Alps have risen by 2°C during the course of the last century and skiers and chalet operators the world over bemoan the impact of climate change on shorter seasons. Around the Mount-Blanc massif, snow cover at mid-mountain elevations has decreased on average by nearly a month since 1970 and if greenhouse emissions remain at current levels, snow cover in the Alps could halve by the end of the century.

There’s still time to turn the tanker though. A recent report indicates that if the world adheres to the emission cuts specified in the Paris Agreement, more than 80 percent of the snow would be saved. But this will come too late for those low-altitude resorts that have already closed their ski-lifts. Those soldiering on using snow machines to create artificial pistes are merely delaying the inevitable and one must question the use of such carbon hungry technology. For water alone, each hectare of artificial snow consumes around 1000 cubic metres, or 1 million litres of water. To snow cover the 2004 area of slopes in the Alps (23,800 hectares) would require 95 million cubic metres annually, equal to the consumption of a city of 1.5 million inhabitants.

Some enterprising low-level resorts are proactively adapting by reinventing their business model, evolving themselves into year-round mountain activity resorts with skiing, sledding, ice climbing, hiking, downhill mountain biking, and spas.

Once again, the Alps is not alone. Ski resorts around the world, from Sierra Nevada to New Zealand are counting the cost of climate change.

While future generations of skiers may need to climb higher to enjoy the type of pistes their grandparents enjoyed, the industry will seek to adapt. While new destinations may be found, the sensible action is for governments to honour their climate commitments and course-correct the warming trajectory we sadly find ourselves on.

Read our first blog in this Climate Change and Tourism series, Coast and Beaches.

Access the third and final blog in this series, City Breaks.