Climate Change Risks Threaten Australia’s Tourism Sites: Report

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Sydney: Up to 68 percent of Australia’s tourism sites will be facing major risks from climate change, a report said on Monday.

The first Climate Risk Index for Australia’s tourism industry, published by Zurich Financial Services Australia and economics consulting firm Mandala Partners, found that half of Australia’s tourism assets, including national parks, museums, airports and beaches, are currently vulnerable to climate perils such as bushfires, storms and droughts.

The proportion of tourism sites that are vulnerable is set to rise to between 55 and 68 percent as global warming continues, the report said.

Under an extreme global warming scenario where average temperatures rise by 3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the index estimated that 80 percent of tourism sites in Australia will experience an increase in risk.

“This analysis, conducted in partnership with Mandala, serves to highlight the critical importance of improving resilience across our tourism assets, both to ensure the sustainability and longevity of these sites and to minimize downstream economic impacts, particularly in regional areas, on employment, business formation, consumption and investment,” Justin Delaney, CEO of Zurich Australia and New Zealand, said in a media release.

According to the report, all 31 of Australia’s busiest airports fall into the two highest climate risk categories, with 94 percent in the most extreme risk category, because of their location and exposure to storms and winds. Other areas considered at high risk include Sydney’s iconic Bondi beach and the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.

In the northeastern state of Queensland, 79 percent of tourism sites are facing an elevated climate risk and 52 percent are in the highest risk category.