The Project
Tourism and Climate Change in North Rhine-Westphalia—Options and Prospects
How can hotels and restaurants prepare for the future? How can digitalization help in this regard? How does the tourism infrastructure need to be adapted? Answers to these questions are provided in the report commissioned by the state government, “Tourism and Climate Change in North Rhine-Westphalia—Options and Perspectives.” It presents tourism officials with concrete measures that are sustainable and, at the same time, have positive economic effects.
Key Findings of the Study
- Climate change is altering the broader context: rising average temperatures, increasing drought, and more frequent extreme weather events are posing new challenges for tourist destinations.
- Tourism, too, can and must do its part to protect the climate.
- Tourism demand in North Rhine-Westphalia is highly diverse: When it comes to trade fairs, cultural events, and city tourism, the focus is often on the Rhine corridor and the Ruhr region. Here, only minor direct and indirect impacts of climate change are expected in the future.
- Outdoor tourism, which has so far taken place primarily in the low mountain ranges, the Bergisches Land, the Münsterland, and the Lower Rhine region, is significantly more affected by climate change. This also applies to winter sports, which are concentrated in small parts of the low mountain range region.
- The goal must be to maintain and strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the tourism industry in the face of climate change through measures aimed at climate adaptation and climate protection. This can be achieved through the following measures:
Infrastructure
- Increase urban climate resilience and quality of life, design paths to be climate-adapted, improve sustainable mobility options, and expand water-based tourism offerings in sustainable locations.
Businesses
- Develop and expand high-quality hospitality offerings centered on outdoor activities. Establish and expand sustainability management in businesses, as well as climate-friendly building and energy management.
Tourism Offerings
- Make sustainability a central focus of tourism offerings
- Create outdoor and active tourism offerings for city travelers
- Improve cycling tourism infrastructure and offerings
- Leverage the health expertise of spas and health resorts—develop nature parks into centers of excellence for sustainability
- Combining regional cuisine with experiential activities
Communication
- Actively promote sustainable tourism
- Guide visitors through both in-person and digital channels
- Establish warning and information systems