International conference on the interactions between climate change, biodiversity and tourism
Climate change and the loss of biodiversity also present a challenge for tourism. "Tourism is especially reliant on an intact environment. This sector should develop both adaptation and protection strategies", Astrid Klug, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, said today at the opening of the international conference on the risks and opportunities for biodiversity and tourism in Germany.
The appeal of many tourist destinations lies in their natural diversity and their landscapes. "The tourist sector must recognise this potential as it also has a responsibility for the protection of nature", Astrid Klug added. 15 to 20 percent of the sea dunes along the German coasts of the North and Baltic Sea were lost between 1900 and 1990. In the Mediterranean, the construction of recreational facilities and hotels destroyed as much as 40 to 80 percent of the dune landscapes.
Biodiversity is also threatened by climate change. In Germany as well, the impact can already be seen in all types of landscapes from the sea to high mountains ranges. With this conference in Berlin, the interactions between climate, biodiversity and tourism are being addressed for the first time. The focus is on the issue of how climate change will alter the number of tourists or travel destinations, which opportunities or problems this will create for nature conservation and how tourism and nature conservation can respond to climate change.
"With a turnover of 233 billion euro and 2.8 million people employed in the sector, tourism is an important economic factor for Germany as an industrialised nation. This is why conserving nature is not only of importance from the environmental point of view. Both tourism and environmental policy can only benefit from a close cooperation", Astrid Klug said.
The Federal Environment Ministry financially supports this conference organised by the German Tourism Association.