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.