Impacts and Risks of Global Change - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 46

plants and grasslands in spring and its prolongation into autumn. This may
enhance agricultural productivity as well as the change of cultivated crops.
As climatic conditions become more erratic (increase in frequency and
scope of extreme events like fl oods, heat waves and severe droughts) new
uncertainties in the future of the agricultural sector must be considered.
More frequent drought could result in decreased productivity and declining
quality. In permanent grassland, water scarcity might cause formation
of gaps in the sward which can be colonized by weeds with negative
implications for animal nutrition (Fuhrer et al. 2006). On the other hand
heavy rainfall and fl oods have signifi cant impacts on productivity and yield.
Tourism
Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors and
of great importance for mountain regions. Tourism is obviously related
to climate. It is therefore surprising that the tourism literature pays little
attention to climate and climatic change (e.g., Witt and Witt 1995). It is
equally surprising that the climate change impact literature pays little
attention to tourism (e.g., Smith et al. 2001, Bourdeau 2008).
Since recent years the situation is changing. Three branches of literature
have started to grow (Hamilton et al. 2003). Firstly, studies came up that
build statistical models of the behaviour of certain groups of tourists as
a function of weather and climate (e.g., Maddison 2001, Hamilton et al.
2003). Secondly, there are studies (e.g., Abegg 1996, UNWTO 2009) that
relate the fates of particular tourist destinations to climate. Thirdly, there
are studies that try to defi ne indicators of the attractiveness to tourists of
certain weather conditions (e.g., Matzarakis 2002). These three strands in
the literature share a common defi cit, namely the lack of a larger, global
assessment of push and pull factors of international mountain tourism.
Climate defi nes not only the length and quality of tourism seasons,
affects tourism operations, and infl uences environmental conditions that
both attract and deter visitors but also determines the activities of tourists in
their destinations. This is why the sector is considered to be highly climate
sensitive. The effects of a changing climate have considerable impacts on
tourism and travel businesses in mountain regions.
It has to be considered, that tourism and travel is also a vector of
climate change, accounting for approximately fi ve% of global carbon
dioxide emissions. By 2035, under a 'business as usual' scenario, carbon
dioxide emissions from global tourism are projected to increase by 130%
(UNWTO 2009: 2).
Climate defi nes the length and quality of tourism seasons like hiking,
summer and winter sports (e.g., Bender et al. 2007). Changes have
considerable implications for the tourism fl ow. Mountain destinations are