The Nexus Between Climate Change and Tourism Industry in the Island of Crete, Greece

Climate change consists of the most important global environmental problem in our era while tourism industry is the main industry in the island of Crete, Greece contributing at around 50% in the regional income. International tourism is growing fast increasing the tourism-related carbon emissions. Climate change and tourism are interconnected and interrelated. Climate change has undesired and harmful impacts on the tourism industry in Crete threatening the local fragile and sensitive ecosystems while the Cretan tourism industry contributes to climate change. The aim of the current book is the study of their nexus and interdependencies. The direct and indirect impacts of climate change on the local tourism industry are investigated as well as their contribution to climate change. The mitigation of all sectors of tourism industry to climate change as well as its adaptation to the new climate conditions are examined and assessed. The de-carbonization in various sectors of the tourism industry in the island is studied highlighting the difficulties of achieving carbon neutrality in each of them. The impacts of Covid-19 as well as the over tourism in the island are also examined. The possibility of creating net-zero carbon emissions accommodation facilities are mentioned. The book highlights the necessity for a sustainable and low-carbon transformation of the local tourism. It could be useful to all stakeholders of the tourism industry in Crete, including the public authorities, who should try jointly to mitigate their impacts to climate change and adapt the attractive and popular insular tourism destination to the new unavoidable climate conditions.