Green tourism futures: climate change responses by Australian government tourism agencies

Abstract

The National Climate Change Adaptation Framework identified tourism as one key sector vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in Australia. This paper evaluates how nine government tourism agencies are responding to the issue of climate change in Australia. Information on climate change, sustainability and going green is drawn from the corporate websites, annual reports, tourism plans, fact sheets, and case studies produced by these government tourism agencies from 2007 to 2010. The paper critically evaluates how government tourism agencies are addressing climate change issues, by promoting carbon reduction initiatives and carbon offsetting schemes for tourism operators. Climate change tourism responses are more developed in Australian states with climate change policies and in destinations vulnerable to the impacts of climate change or dependent on long haul travellers.