Tourism Pivots as Temperatures Rise

Seeking temperate conditions, more tourists are travelling off-season or choosing milder climes (like Scandinavia and the Baltics). Smart destinations are diversifying and reframing their offerings accordingly, such as ski resorts foregrounding snow-free adventures. Meanwhile, heatwaves are forcing attractions to tweak their opening hours and invest in cooling infrastructure.

New-Era Traveller Psyches: Eco-Anxieties, Ethics & Insurance

Caution and guilty consciences are increasingly influencing consumers’ travel choices. With disrupted plans becoming the new normal, there’s a need for savvier insurance policies and supportive services. Awareness of vanishing natural wonders is inspiring citizen-science trips and eco-sabbaticals but also driving morally dubious “doom tourism”. Meanwhile, some climate-anxious consumers are simply opting for low-impact staycations.

Climate-Adaptive Infrastructure

From hotels to airports, buildings across the travel industry are urgently ramping up their resilience against extreme weather conditions. Pioneering hospitality projects not only defend against natural disasters but work with the (ever more unpredictable) elements – such as floating accommodation for coastal resorts threatened by rising sea levels and storm surges. See also The Future Airport: 24/25.

Re-Evaluating Natural Resources

With climate change imperilling vital commodities, such as fresh water and crops, the resource-guzzling hospitality industry is forced to reduce, conserve and quantify its usage. Enlightened resorts, cruise lines and festivals are even generating their own food and fuel supplies. For companies trying to consume resources more mindfully, new open-source platforms and carbon trackers provide valuable assistance.