Tourism Down Under is Going Under

by Monica Szymanski

            Parts of Australia and New Zealand are well-known for climates that are ideal for many outdoor activities.  As a result of global warming, the climate change in the area will affect the recreation and tourism industries.  Where some tourist attractions would benefit from the warm climate change, such as wine tasting, rock climbing and various outdoor activities, others would plummet.  An assortment of destinations could suffer from potential flooding, cyclones, fires, heat waves, droughts and other natural disasters caused by global warming.  Obviously, tourists might think twice before visiting a place that is commonly hit with these types of disasters, thus decreasing the amount of money flow to certain regions.  Three major tourist attractions or destinations that are effected by this change are The Great Barrier Reef, ski resorts and beaches (Hennessy, 2007).

            The Great Barrier Reef is known as the biggest and most intricate coral reef system in the world that gives home to a diverse range of sea creatures.  Tourists come from all over the world to take boat tours, scuba dive and snorkel in this natural environment.  Storms and cyclones in the area are expected to become more and more severe as temperatures and water levels climb.  Powerful storms would intensify the chances of physical damage to the reef as well as the chances of saltwater reaching the reef and causing coral bleaching (PIA, 2004).  Since 1979, there have been 8 major coral bleaching occurrences that were prompted by an increase of the surface water temperatures (Hennessy, 2007).

The diversity that is now seen in this ecosystem will most likely decline in the next few decades from the deterioration of the reef and the change in the water climate.  Some of these effects are seen now with the reef being overrun with seaweed, species becoming extinct and the damage to the reef (PIA, 2004).  The Great Barrier Reef brought in an estimated $776 million in a one year period of time while employing approximately 63,000 people.  If this revenue is lost, it would put a damper on the tourism industry as well as the local economy (Hennessy, 2007).

            The beaches of Australia and New Zealand are very popular because of their quality and purity.  The rise in sea level and the amount of storms would cause more erosion in coastal areas.  This would damage the dunes that protect the coastline leaving this area more vulnerable to the storms and cyclones.  Erosion and frequent storm damage to coastal buildings would deter tourists from visiting the beaches (PIA, 2004).   In some areas, seashore erosion is expected to measure up to 50 meters from its state in 1980 by the year 2030.  Beachfront properties are at a higher risk of destruction and are going to cost more to maintain, especially with higher insurance rates.  These areas are also expected to be less habitable because of saltwater invasion of freshwater sources.  There would be fewer beachgoers in areas that are constantly in a state of disarray, consequently there would be a monetary loss to businesses that are reliant upon tourists (Hennessy, 2007).

            Areas of southeastern Australia and many parts of New Zealand have alpine zones that are excellent for skiing and snowboarding.  There are signs of glacier shrinkage and a decrease in annual snowfall in these areas (Hennessy, 2007).  According to the CSIRO computer model, the projected decrease in regions that have 60 days of snow coverage would be decreased by 18-60% by the year 2020 and by 38-96% by the year 2050.  How much a snow season is cut short is dependent upon the elevation of an area.  Reductions are seen anywhere from 20-40 days in the ski season and is reliant upon the location (Hennessy, 2003).  In the past 40 years alone, the depth of snow has decreased by 40% and snowlines on the Southern Alps are expected to rise.  This heavily affects the ski resorts because there is less snow, less snow coverage and less time to make a profit.  Tourists might move away from Australian ski resorts and move toward New Zealand ski resorts because global warming won’t have as detrimental of an effect on the New Zealand’s alpine zones in relation to Australia’s (Hennessy, 2007). 

Tourism in Australia and New Zealand is highly based upon the natural resources and the climate.  Forty percent of all international visitors are drawn to Australia by its natural attractions.  4.5% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product is generated by its tourism industry, which is about $32 billion (Allen Consulting Group, 2005).  New Zealand’s tourism industry makes up 5% of their GDP.  In some towns, the whole economy is reliant upon the local tourism.  If major tourism hotspots decrease in value, then a decrease in the Australian and New Zealand GDP’s are expected (Hennessy, 2007).

Preventative measures are being taken to ease the monetary losses from the tourism industry.  Areas that are extremely vulnerable to the global warming effects are making plans to attract tourists in new ways.  Ski resorts, for instance, are advertising for bike riding, tennis and hiking during their off season (Allen Consulting Group, 2005).  They are also trying to maintain the skiing industry by artificial snow making, developing higher terrain, cooperation with other ski resorts and by slope design (Hennessy, 2003).  In trying to save the tourism generated from beaches, some measures could be taken towards building stronger structures in vulnerable areas, protect vegetation on dunes to prevent further erosion and working on water desalination methods.  The overall deterioration of The Great Barrier Reef cannot be alleviated as easily.  This rich natural resource and diverse ecosystem is at risk of destruction in the next few decades if global warming continues at the present rate.

Bibliography

Allen Consulting Group, 2005: Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability: Promoting an Efficient Adaptation Response in Australia. Report to the Australian Greenhouse Office by the Allen Consulting Group, 159 pp. http://www.greenhouse. gov.au/impacts/publications/risk-vulnerability.html.

Hennessy, K., B. Fitzharris, B.C. Bates, N. Harvey, S.M. Howden, L. Hughes, J. Salinger and R. Warrick, 2007: Australia and New Zealand. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 507-540.

Hennessy, K.J., P.H. Whetton, J. Bathols, M. Hutchinson and J. Sharples, 2003: The Impact of Climate Change on Snow Conditions in Australia. Consultancy Report for the Victorian Dept of Sustainability and Environment, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service,Australian Greenhouse Office and the Australian Ski Areas Association., CSIRO Atmospheric Research, 47 pp. http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/hennessy_2003a.

Pdf.

PIA, 2004: Sustainable regional and urban communities adapting to climate change. Issues Paper, Planning Institute of Australia Queensland Division, Brisbane, 88 pp. http://www.greenhouse.sa.gov.au/PDFs/issuespaperjune_21.pdf.