Impacts of Climate Change

Over the summer, I’ve watched bushfires, floods, heat waves and cyclones disrupt not only communities but small tourism businesses in destinations right across Australia. And that is not to diminish the loss and suffering, including tragic deaths inflicted on those impacted.

It has spurred me to focus this blog on how we can get in front of this evolving threat to our businesses.

I think we now need to recognise that the escalating warming of our climate now poses an existential threat to the travel industry in regions that are vulnerable to the extreme weather. The regular coverage of climatic events over summer and the damage to infrastructure jeopardises the appeal of popular destinations often during peak season and deters tourists from visiting affected areas and well beyond.

We need to build resilience against climate-related risks and invest now in disaster preparedness and sustainable infrastructure.

Small tourism businesses face significant challenges due to climate change, not only extreme weather events, but changing seasonal patterns, and environmental degradation. To mitigate risks and adapt, let’s consider what adjustments to operations and marketing strategies might be required.

The first question to ask yourself is how sustainable is my business in a hotter drier Australia? If you’re not sure, think about implementing energy-efficient systems like solar power, and water conservation techniques, especially in drought-prone areas. Have you researched low-cost rainwater harvesting (catch and tank) and water-efficient systems and waste reduction initiatives?

How prepared are you for extreme weather and how do you manage that risk?

If you haven’t already, write an emergency plan for bushfires, storms or floods. If your activity or accommodation has a heightened risk, share this and point your customers to it. Also, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, such as roof sprinklers, review the assets you use for your tours/activities and work to add alternative income sources to your business, like different experiences you can pivot to if your primary product is affected.

This may mean adjusting your business model to cater to shifting tourist seasons due to temperature changes to expand your offerings to include off-season attractions (e.g., in the southeastern States, mountain biking or cultural experiences instead of snow-dependent activities). Maybe partner with scientists or local nature/conservation groups to provide educational climate/nature tours like birdwatching or wildlife activities that help restore damaged ecosystems.

Because Governments are also facing this challenge, reach out to collaborate with your local government and community organizations to improve climate resilience by engaging in conservation efforts, like beach cleanups or reforestation projects.

In your marketing materials let your consumers know about the positive things you are doing, highlighting eco-friendly practices and sustainability efforts to protect local environments and communities. Is there an ‘eco-certification’ you can claim to increase visibility?

I’ve written about this in previous blogs but use compelling storytelling in your marketing such as creation of blogs, videos, and social media to highlight your achievements, environmental commitment and uniqueness of your product offering. Maybe partner with climate activists and influencers to spread awareness. You’ll find this will help generating ‘earned media’ coverage in nature, sustainability and high-end travel media.

If you are in a particularly vulnerable region, offer more flexible cancellation policies when extreme weather risks emerge and provide timely weather updates online (website and social media) in your engagement with booked and prospective guests. This will boost their confidence in booking and improve and broaden your relationship with your market.

To me the key message for small tourism businesses is to develop agility and resilience, and the immediate things you can do are:

  • Adapt your operations to be more climate-resilient, whether through infrastructure, diversification, or partnerships.
  • Use storytelling to engage travellers, showing how you are actively tackling climate change.
  • Offer flexible booking policies to take account of looming unpredictable weather.
  • Partner with conservation and sustainability organizations to enhance your credentials and credibility.
  • Leverage social media, influencers, and user-generated content to amplify your sustainability efforts.