North Carolina State University researchers found in a new study that while many tourists visiting a mountain destination in southern Mexico wouldn’t change their near-term plans to visit due to climate change, more than two-thirds said they would or might change their plans by 2060 under more drastically changed conditions.
North Carolina State University researchers found in a new study that while many tourists visiting a mountain destination in southern Mexico wouldn’t change their near-term plans to visit due to climate change, more than two-thirds said they would or might change their plans by 2060 under more drastically changed conditions.
In addition, researchers also found that 70% of those surveyed would change the length of their stay in response to climate change by 2060, and some indicated they’d shift the timing of their visit. The findings, published in a special edition of Tourism and Hospitality, suggest that climate change could impact not only the total number of tourists visiting a place, but also the timing and duration – factors that could be important for tourism-related staffing and revenue.
“In other studies, we’ve seen that for some tourists, their attachment to a place will mean they’ll come back, even as climactic and environmental conditions change,” said study co-author Erin Seekamp, Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Coastal Resilience and Sustainability at NC State. “But there are a lot of people who are uncertain. That’s something the tourism industry needs to heed with caution. That uncertainty means you could potentially lose a substantial amount of your clientele. Alternatively, it could mean there are shifts toward tourism in other seasons.”
Read More: North Carolina State University
Suspension bridge in Benito Juárez, Mexico. Photo Credit: Erin Seekamp)
