Tourism and Climate Change Topics

Tourism and Climate Change Dissertation Topics

Info: 949 words (1 pages) Tourism and Climate Change Dissertation Topics
Published: 21th May 2025 in Tourism and Climate Change Dissertation Topics

Share this:

Project 1:

Title:

Vulnerability to Climate Change for Tourism in Coastal and Desert Regions: Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa

Description and Research Gap:

While tourism continues to grow in importance in the North Africa and Middle East regions, climate change vulnerability of desert and coastal tourism is an area of notable research gap. These destinations offer visitors a unique tourism product that includes culture, cultural heritage experiences, and desert experiences; however, little attention has been focused on how extreme weather events, particularly heatwaves, can directly impact the tourism infrastructure, visitor choices and prefers, and tourism planning.

Objectives:

• To examine the impacts of current and projected climate change on desert and coastal tourism at selected countries (UAE, Egypt, Morocco).

• To determine the vulnerabilities of tourism infrastructure from heat waves and climates that could produce extreme weather events.

• To formulate recommendations for resilience and adaptation planning.

Methods:

• Trend Analysis of meteorological data (e.g., temperature, heatwaves).

• GIS Mapping: Identify current and future tourism vulnerability.

• Stakeholder interviews: Tourism planners, authorities in local councils.

Expected Outcomes:

• Identify climate sensitive tourism zones.

• Adapt tourism for desert and coastal areas with climate-resilient strategies for heat, drought, and sea-level rise.

• Policy for climate responsive tourism planning.

Key References:

Dube, Kaitano. 2024. “Evolving Narratives in Tourism and Climate Change Research: Trends, Gaps, and Future Directions” Atmosphere 15, no. 4: 455. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15040455

Project 2:

Title:

Resilience and Disaster Risk Management in Tourism: Addressing Climate Change Vulnerabilities

Description & Research Gap:

Tourism resilience and disaster risk response to climate change has, to date, not been adequately addressed in research, despite growing evidence now examining the lagging response of the tourism sector to the increasing exposure to extreme weather events. Both tourisms protected areas and tourism infrastructure are now facing “existential threats” related to climate variability, fires, floods, storms, etc.,

Objectives:

• To assess the extent to which climate resilience planning is evident in destinations and among tourism operators.

• To understand the way disaster risk is managed by tourism enterprises.

• To ultimately recommend frameworks for climate disaster planning within tourism development.

Methods:

• Case studies of destinations impacted by climate-induced disasters

• Comparative review of existing disaster risk management / action plans.

• Surveys/interviews of tourism enterprises regarding preparedness / responses.

Expected Outcomes:

• Identification of gaps in disaster preparedness for tourism.

• Strong resilience and response framework for tourism stakeholders.

• Strategic guidelines for prospective adaptation to climate risk in future tourism development.

Key References:

Dube, Kaitano. 2024. “Evolving Narratives in Tourism and Climate Change Research: Trends, Gaps, and Future Directions” Atmosphere 15, no. 4: 455. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15040455

Project 3:

Title:

Emerging Frontiers: Future Climate Change Analysis: Impacts on Sports Tourism and Mega Events

Description & Research Gap:

Rather than in-depth studies of winter sports and polar tourism and whether or not those sanitary constraints can be limited, there is no research broadly examining the impact of climate change on other types of sports tourism (e.g., golf, cricket, car races, marathon). This needs to be understood given the financial implication of this type of sport.

Objectives:

• To understand how higher temperatures and extreme weather events will affect sports tourism.

• To identify sports events and infrastructure at risk.

• To make recommendations for the consideration of mitigating actions for the sustainability of sports-related tourism.

Methods:

• Conducting spatial analysis using GIS techniques to identify the climate exposure of major sports tourism sites around the world.

• Using climate models to assess the risk to sports tourism spaces and events in the future climate.

• Analysis of past sports event disruptions caused by climate variability.

Expected Outcomes:

• Identified risk maps related to sports tourism hotspots.

• A climate vulnerability index for sports tourism.

• Recommendations for event planners on sustainable actions while operating in a climate-change situation.

Key References:

Dube, Kaitano. 2024. “Evolving Narratives in Tourism and Climate Change Research: Trends, Gaps, and Future Directions” Atmosphere 15, no. 4: 455. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15040455

Study Resources

Free resources to assist you with your university studies!

Research Gap:

This will close in 0 seconds