Abstract
This paper undertakes a data-driven segmentation analysis on tourists’ choice of island destinations in the context of a changing climate. To this end, 2528 tourists visiting ten European islands in the Mediterranean, Baltic, and Atlantic regions were posed hypothetical situations in which diverse impacts caused by CC (i.e., beach loss, heatwaves, storm intensification, etc.) were affecting the islands being visited. In each scenario, tourists’ responses ranged from stay on the island to change to an alternative destination. Cluster analysis allowed the identification of four segments: (1) LO-loyal oriented—tourists willing to stay on the island despite any climatic event (in this group, tourists would often change the travel date); (2) RA-risk-averse—tourists who would always avoid islands affected by CC; (3) WIL-risk-specific—a segment of tourists with a special aversion to the risks associated with wildlife disappearance and damage to infrastructure, and (4) 3S-sun, sea and sand seekers—tourists who would always avoid visiting islands where CC induced effects are related to beach loss or extreme events. Further analysis is dedicated to comparing segments in regard to their sociodemographic characteristics, the image of the island, and the importance given to the protection of environmental attributes when choosing an island destination. The results alert us about the climate-specific risks and tourist profiles that are relevant to explaining changes in the tourism geography and seasonality of islands. The findings are useful for providing operational marketing recommendations for destination managers, especially for taking competitive advantage of climate services, and for prevention and responsiveness management strategies.
Highlights
IntroductionClimate change (CC) impacts have a multi-hazard origin [1] and, at the same time, these impacts can affect several ecosystems simultaneously, both marine and land environments [2,3]
Received: 26 November 2020Accepted: 18 December 2020Published: 26 December 2020Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.license.Climate change (CC) impacts have a multi-hazard origin [1] and, at the same time, these impacts can affect several ecosystems simultaneously, both marine and land environments [2,3]
The study results indicate that tourists do not exhibit unified market characteristics in regard to their responses to CC impacts
Summary
Climate change (CC) impacts have a multi-hazard origin [1] and, at the same time, these impacts can affect several ecosystems simultaneously, both marine and land environments [2,3]. Higher temperatures lead to heatwaves affecting the thermal comfort of tourists [5], as well as rises in sea level that can affect coastal infrastructures. From another angle, expectations, reactions and opinions about the climate of a destination vary among tourists, according to their socio-demographic characteristics, travel motivations, and the climatic conditions of their place of residence [6,7]. For some tourists, the assessment of climate tends to reflect their personal experience, which may not always coincide with the real average weather conditions of destinations [8]
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