The Nexus between Climate Change and Tourism Industry in the Island of Crete, Greece

Abstract

Climate change and tourism industry have close linkages and interconnections. The aim of the current work is the investigation of the nexus between climate change and tourism industry in the island of Crete, Greece. The impacts of climate change on the tourism industry in Crete have been studied as well as the contribution of the local tourism industry to greenhouse gas emissions. It has been indicated that climate change alters various environmental conditions affecting the island’s tourism industry while climate change-related natural hazards create damages in the local infrastructure. The tourism-related carbon emissions in Crete are in the same range with other tourism destinations while carbon emissions attributed to air-flights to and from Crete have the highest share in the overall emissions. Several actors in tourism industry should try to mitigate climate change reducing their carbon emissions while various adaptation measures should be taken in order to minimize climate change-related damages. Our results could be useful to local authorities in the design of future policies coping with climate change in Crete as well as to several actors of tourism industry who should try to minimize the undesired impacts of climate change which threatens the prosperity of their enterprises.