No time for smokescreen skepticism: A rejoinder to Shani and Arad

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • C. Michael Hall
  • Bas Amelung
  • Scott Cohen
  • Eke Eijgelaar
  • Stefan Gössling
  • James Higham
  • Rik Leemans
  • Paul Peeters
  • Yael Ram
  • Daniel Scott
  • Carlo Aall
  • Bruno Abegg
  • Jorge E. Araña
  • Stewart Barr
  • Susanne Becken
  • Ralf Buckley
  • Peter Burns
  • Tim Coles
  • Jackie Dawson
  • Rouven Doran
  • Ghislain Dubois
  • David Timothy Duval
  • David Fennell
  • Alison M. Gill
  • Martin Gren
  • Werner Gronau
  • Jo Guiver
  • Debbie Hopkins
  • Edward H. Huijbens
  • Ko Koens
  • Machiel Lamers
  • Christopher Lemieux
  • Alan Lew
  • Patrick Long
  • Frans W. Melissen
  • Jeroen Nawijn
  • Sarah Nicholls
  • Jan Henrik Nilsson
  • Robin Nunkoo
  • Alan Pomering
  • Arianne C. Reis
  • Dirk Reiser
  • Robert B. Richardson
  • Christian M. Rogerson
  • Jarkko Saarinen
  • Anna Dóra Sæórsdóttir
  • Robert Steiger
  • Sander van der Linden
  • Gustav Visser
  • Geoffrey Wall
  • David Weaver

Shani and Arad (2014) claimed that tourism scholars tend to endorse the most pessimistic assessments regarding climate change, and that anthropogenic climate change was a "fashionable" and "highly controversial scientific topic". This brief rejoinder provides the balance that is missing from such climate change denial and skepticism studies on climate change and tourism. Recent research provides substantial evidence that reports on anthropogenic climate change are accurate, and that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, including from the tourism industry, play a significant role in climate change. Some positive net effects may be experienced by some destinations in the short-term, but in the long-term all elements of the tourism system will be impacted. The expansion of tourism emissions at a rate greater than efficiency gains means that it is increasingly urgent that the tourism sector acknowledge, accept and respond to climate change. Debate on tourism-related adaptation and mitigation measures is to be encouraged and welcomed. Climate change denial is not.

Original languageEnglish
JournalTourism Management
Volume47
Pages (from-to)341-347
Number of pages7
ISSN0261-5177
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.04.2015
Externally publishedYes