Dr. Izidora Marković Vukadin, Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Tourism, gave an interview to the daily newspaper Novi list on the impact of climate change on Croatian tourism, as well as the challenges and opportunities for adapting tourism destinations to new climatic conditions.
The interview highlighted that Croatian tourism can no longer rely on the climatic conditions we knew several decades ago. Increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, periods of drought, pressure on water resources, a growing risk of wildfires, and extreme precipitation are already affecting the functioning of tourism destinations and visitors’ experiences. Particular emphasis was placed on the vulnerability of Croatian tourism due to its strong concentration on the summer months and coastal areas. Climate change is not an isolated challenge; rather, it interacts with other pressures faced by destinations, including the significant seasonal strain on infrastructure and natural resources.
The interview also presented some of the findings of the scientific project COMMITMENT, within which the Institute for Tourism is exploring opportunities for adapting tourism destinations to climate change. Particular attention was paid to connecting scientific data with the experiences and needs of local communities and tourism stakeholders, as well as to identifying concrete solutions for strengthening the resilience of destinations. The discussion also addressed the example of the island of Krk, where climate change, the growing number of visitors during the peak tourist season, and limited water resources are creating additional pressure on the water supply system. The solutions highlighted include infrastructure adaptation, as well as the increasing application of nature-based solutions, green and blue infrastructure, and more sustainable resource management.
The interview also presented the experiences and activities of the Interreg Euro-MED project NaTour4CChange, which focuses on the application of nature-based solutions to help tourism destinations adapt to climate change. The project demonstrates how local and nature-based solutions – ranging from greening and green infrastructure to improved water resource management and the adaptation of tourism offerings – can contribute to greater resilience of Mediterranean tourism destinations.
Read the full interview at the link http://novilist.hr/novosti/gospodarstvo/sve-ekstremnija-ljeta-mijenjaju-sustinu-hrvatskog-turizma-puno-se-moze-nauciti-iz-primjera-krka/