Fondazione Santagata, together with Studio Giaccardi & Associati – Consulenti di Direzione e Data Analysts, has been commissioned by ENIT (National Tourism Agency) to conduct its new project ‘Climate-sensitive Tourism‘, in order to analyse new travel patterns and the evolution of tourism enterprises and locations in response to climate change.

Climate change is a current and pervasive phenomenon, which impacts all activities: it therefore requires knowledge and prevention of risks, new management skills, as well as a careful selection of possible solutions. All this declined in the sphere of tourism and destinations represents an historic turning point, both on the demand side (travellers increasingly sensitive to the issue), and on the supply side (destinations that must come to terms with the changes taking place and identify innovative measures).

CONTEXT

Climate-sensitive travellers are growing. And they are becoming numerous, especially in European and international demand. They are travellers and tourists who are increasingly

  • aware of the changes and risks of the climate emergency and therefore able to modify their holiday times, ways and places to feel well and safe
  • attentive to data and information on the adaptability of products, services and destinations that protect people and also contribute to combating the climate emergency
  • interested in playing their part and being considered co-leaders in countering the climate emergency by the destinations where they choose to travel and stay.

Hence the strategic need to pragmatically address the impact of the climate emergency on tourism.

OBJECTIVES

The research objectives are:

  • To compose and carry out in-depth studies, measurements and predictions on the impact of the main climate-sensitive factors on travel and mobility demand, on the media, on the evolution of technologies and systems, on marketing models, skills and training offers, etc.
  • Analysing and measuring the impact of those factors with respect to the main assets of Italy’s offer (e.g. Bathing and boating, Mountains and lakes, Culture, UNESCO heritage and cities of art, Sport and the outdoors, Food and typical products, major events, etc.)
  • To design and release to ENIT the “Climate-sensitive Tourism” dashboard for policy and service innovation and for the coordination of projects and interventions in favour of tourism enterprises and destinations.

WORK PHASES

The project runs from 2023 to 2024.

The starting point of the work is the participation of the Fondazione Santagata, together with Studio Giaccardi & Associati – Consulenti di Direzione e Data Analysts, in the TTG Experience 2023 event, on 12 October 2023 in Rimini, as part of the launch event of the project “Climate change: the evolution of tourism enterprises and destinations“.

The research project over the forthcoming months will have several intermediate steps of discussion with the various public and private stakeholders based also on the release of several technical outputs.

The final research report “Climate-sensitive tourism” and the new working tools are going to be presented at TTG Experience 2024.

EXPECTED RESULTS

The project aims to:

  • know, analyse and measure the changes in demand and supply caused by the climate emergency;
  • analyse how these changes affect UNESCO sites, in light of the need to balance conservation and development;
  • contribute to the creation of useful tools for the work of operators in the sector;
  • contribute to outlining innovation policies for businesses and destinations.

PARTNERS

Studio Giaccardi & Associati – Consulenti di Direzione e Data Analyst

TEAM

Paola Borrione
Andrea Porta