Position Statement
Tourism Australia is one of the biggest and the most popular tour operators currently present within the country. This organisation was established in the year 2004 with the reformation of its preceding agency called the Australian Tourist Commission. The business operations of Tourism Australia is directly controlled and monitored by the authorities involved in Australian government. The primary roles and responsibilities of Tourism Australia in the country are primarily focused on enhancing the economic condition of the country in the form of attracting more and more international and local tourists to visit urban and rural areas of the country (Tourism Australia , 2018). The authorities associated with Tourism Australia are also entitled with the responsibility to organise business and leisure events in the country with the intention to attract international tourists all the year around. The mission of the business of Tourism Australia is to make Australia one of the desirable destinations on the earth. The company’s core values are focused on developing positive relationships between customers and partners through abiding by various principles such as Genuine, Innovative, united, positive and Commercial.
There are various external and internal factors that significantly influence the business operations of Tourism Australia such as external factors include weather and exchange rate whereas internal factors include social events and security. The agency of Tourism Australia in order to overcome the issue of climate change would have to strictly develop policies related to GHG emission and encouragement of Destination Management Operations (DMO) (Ndife, 2014). The application of both the above-mentioned policies would certainly play a major role in cutting down emission rate in Australia which is generated due to large number of tourists visiting the country as well as educate tourists about the concept of preserving the environment for future generations. This report focuses on developing necessary proposals to overcome the issue of climate change and its impact on tourism in Australia.
Background context
The issue of climate change is one of the major issues which are currently faced by the government of the country. The significant reformations in the climate have resulted in negatively impacting both financially and economically to the country. As per the report developed by CSIRO, it has been observed that the temperature in Australia is increasing which in turn would result in extending heat and fire seasons in the country. Similarly, the national issue of climate change is also impacting the business of tourism in the country. The constant change in the level of temperature in Australia is negatively affecting the coral reefs and natural heritage. This level of degradation of the environment is resulting in lowering the influx of tourists in the country. Amelung & Nicholls (2014) in their article has also stressed on highlighting the negativity which occurs due to change in climate in Australia. The major issues and challenges faced by the tourism sector of Australia are as follows
- Coral Bleaching: Climate change has resulted in lowering down of scuba diving activities in Australia. The constant rise in temperatures has resulted in damaging the reefs and ocean.
- Coastal Flooding and Rise of Sea level: The issue of climate change in Australia is posing a major threat for tourists who love beaches. The sea level in Australia is expected to increase by half a meter every year which in turn is a major threat for international tourists in the country.
Another major area of concern in Australia is their geographic area. It should be taken into consideration that Australia is surrounded by water which in turn is responsible for attracting foreign tourists for its water sports activities and coral reefs. However, the high level of emission of GHG emission gas in the country has resulted in impacting the tourism business of the nation by negatively affective its natural habitat. According to Nickerson et al. (2011), it has been observed that continuous deformation of the climate has been largely due to the negligence of local as well as international tourists visiting the country. The rise of global tourists has resulted in rise of transportation vehicles which in-turn is increasing the temperature level of the country.
Cashman et al. (2012) in their journal article has stressed on discussing about the effects of climate change on people employed in the tourism industry. The article also highlights that tourism is considered to be one of the prime employers in countries such as Australia. The advancement of tourism results in generating more job opportunities for local people in the country such as in the form of hotels, restaurants and bike renting etc. Therefore, the impact of climate change has resulted in the downfall of international visitors in Australia which in-turn has cut down jobs in the country. As per the report published on The Australian, it has been identified that the Climate Council of Australia has projected a steep decline in the number of international visitors in the country by 2080. In 2016, the number of visitors recorded in the country was around 8 million which in-turn created 15 times more employment in the country (Aikman, 2018). But the figures are likely to change in the near future mainly due to the constant rise in temperatures in Melbourne and Sydney to 50 degree Celsius.
Furthermore, in order to understand the issue of climate change in details, it is necessary to focus on identifying the drivers that result in deforming climate around the world. The first major drivers of climate change are economic, demographic and environmental. In terms of demographics, the driving factor of income inequality is a major reason behind the constant change in climatic condition. As per the research conducted by Nexus Media, it has been identified that rise in income of people in the society is one of the prime reasons behind the degradation of the environment (Cimons, 2017). The economic condition of Australia is also the same as there has been a constant increase in the number of billionaires from 14 to 33 between 2008 and 2017. This clearly indicates that large majority of people are not paid as per their stipulated wages (Hutchens, 2018). The rise of the number of people who are barely meeting up to the daily cost of living in Australia is forced to use traditional ways of cooking methods which in-turn is hampering the environment as well the tourism industry of the country. Similarly, the demographic factor of rise in population can also be considered as a major driver towards climate change in any country. It should be taken into consideration that rise in human population would result in demand of use of fossil fuels such as oil, coal, gas and other fuels. The use of large proportion of fossil fuels to meet the demands of the population can be a major cause of generation of smoke and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is a primary reason behind the occurrence of climate change. The population of Australia is on the verge of exploding as it is projected to reach 36 million by 2050. The rise in human population in Australia is creating a huge demand for fossil fuels and energy in the country (News, 2018). This has negatively impacted the environment and thus has resulted in increase in temperatures which is bad for tourism in the country. Finally, the environmental factor of increase in GHG emission is also a major driver behind the change of climate. In Australia, it has been noticed that emission of GHG gases is recorded to be highest on record. Since 2011, the level of greenhouse gas in Australia has continued to rise largely due to rise in population and vehicles in the country (Slezak, 2017). The high rate of GHG emission is significantly affecting destination tourism in Australia as people are directly or indirectly affecting natural landscapes and coral reefs in Australia due to high level of CO2 emission in the environment. Therefore, it becomes important for government of Australia as well as Tourism Australia to develop appropriate tourism policies in the country with the intention to overcome the situation of climate change and attract more international tourists in the country.
A statement of need
Australia has been faced with significant economic and environmental impacts from the change in climactic conditions that spans across several sectors. A major portion of Australia is covered with coastlands which are already under threats from the environment and the further rise in sea level or other climactic conditions exacerbate the challenges (Department of the Environment and Energy, 2018). Furthermore, temperature and sea-level rise and extreme events such as bushfires, heat waves and floods could also be detrimental for the cities and the environment of the country in general. Thus, this policy is important for the conservation and sustenance of the environment.
The government has a major role to play in this context. It is for the government to make sure that the rudiments of the policy are implemented properly. Imposing upper limits on the greenhouse gas emissions by the business enterprises which operate within the tourism market and also households would help to curtail the level of emissions. Business enterprises need to curtail their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20%. These could include hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. whichever accommodates and entertains tourists (Font, Elgammal and Lamond, 2017). They should actively engage in reducing the increase of temperature to below 2oC. Also, rapid reductions should be aimed at. The government can aid the tourism plan by making sure that it is enforceable by legal standards and also ensuring that the incoming tourists are routinely screened in order to make sure that they do not defile the rudiments of the policy (Smith, 2014).
The stakeholders of the policy includes the government, the industries operating in the country, the travellers who come to visit Australia from other countries, the people of the home country and the different global and national environmental agencies. These include the external stakeholders who have a keen interest in the country’s environmental issues and are directly or indirectly affected by the environmental degradation. The industries in the country have a hand in directly curbing the environmental problems as their activities lead to the increase or decrease in emissions (Liu et al., 2016). On the other hand, the agency has to remain in the good books of the government and therefore, the government is also an important stakeholder for the tourism company. Since there are various international environmental standards to which countries have to conform to, therefore, the policy would help Australia in general to abide by these international environmental standards.
One of the key trends influencing this issue is the rising global temperatures and greenhouse gases which has been a major concern worldwide. This could be demonstrated by the recent international conventions and conferences such as the Paris Agreement and the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), all of which emphasise the emission of greenhouse gases (Hulme, 2016). During the Paris Agreement, the participating parties reached an agreement whereby the decision to battle climate alteration had been adopted and also to intensify, invest in and accelerate the actions that would result in a sustainably low carbon tomorrow (Rogelj et al., 2016). Australia has been a part of this decision-making and the government of the country is committed to strong international and domestic actions so as to prevent climate change.
However, implementation of a wholly new policy or plan of action would not be an easy task to be performed by the agency. One of the main challenges that could be faced is opposition from different parties. Although, it is expected that a policy which portrays the country in a positive light and also conveys a benevolent message would not be opposed by any parties, however, any action is always subjected to political opposition or opposition by parties that have conflicting interests. Also, paucity of funds can be another issue which might hinder the easy formulation and implementation of the above-mentioned policy. The government may not be ready to support the agency financially for the implementation of this action framework since it maybe apprehensive about the success and the objectives behind this policy. All these comprise the hypothetical and possible challenges that might be posited to the easy acceptance of this policy.
One of the primary reasons behind intervention by any business enterprise is conflicting interests. As noticed in case of the US which backed out of the Paris Agreement due to the country’s president’s vouchsafing for industrial growth over environmental conservation, this is applicable too for the industries operating within the confines of Australia. Tourism Australia is a tourism agency with limited reach within the societal set up. However, big industrialists operating in the Australian market might find this policy to be a hindrance for their business activities given the focus of the policy on the curbing of carbon emission and likewise other tenets.
However, in spite of the possible challenges, the policy would be able to impact the lives of the people of the country in a positive manner. For instance, one of the major tenets of the policy is the reduction of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. This would help to reduce the global temperatures and prevent rise in sea level. Given that Australia is a sea-encircled country and their extensive coastlines, a rising sea-level and inundating floods are a constant threat to a section of the country’s people, carbon and greenhouse gas reduction would enable to foster climactic change and curb this problem. Apart from that, given the fact that Australia is a compliant in the Paris Agreement, therefore, this policy would also advances it a little forward towards fulfilling of the environmental action standards set by the global convention. Not only this, since Australia is a major tourist attraction spot owing to its pristine environment and natural beauty, therefore, the policy or action plan would enhance the conditions of the surroundings and make it a more likeable tourism market (Amelung and Nicholls, 2014). Also, it would give out a very positive message to the global stakeholders since they will be in the know-how that a tourism agency within the country has actively implemented a tourism policy which aims to address the contemporary climate change issue.
Scope of the proposed plan
The tourism plan that has been aimed at addressing the climate change issue that has a significant influence on the tourism sector has some crucial approaches. The government of Australia along with the operations of Tourism Australia would prepare a tourism and climate framework or action. The actions to be undertaken under this proposed plan will adjust the operations and functions of the tourism sector to be aligned with the Global Climate Change Policy. The goals of the Global Climate Change Policy as propounded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is to keep the temperature causing global warming to be below 2 °C while the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon emissions are halved by the year 2050 (Becken & Clapcott, 2011). One of the approaches of the Australian tourism sector would be to create a Multi-Party Climate Change Committee which would facilitate a carbon price mechanism in the country. Another approach of the tourism sector in association with the Australian government would be to make an investment in the technological education and expertise in the field of renewable power generation.
Two instruments would be appropriate for the tourism plan on addressing the issue of climate change in Australia which is government action and money. In case of the first approach of the plan, the Australian government along with Tourism Australia would take actions for the tourism sector to align its policy with the Global Climate Change Policy and may impose a penalty for not abiding by the policy measures. On the other hand, it is the governmental action that would make an investment in the technological education and expertise on renewable power generation area (Scott et al., 2012). Money, another instrument, would also be appropriate for the plan as the second approach entails the carbon price mechanism that would affect the revenue of the tourism sector in Australia. Several instruments could be used effectively because it would ensure that the tourism and climate change policy is aligned with the global climate change policies.
Tourism and climate framework if implemented would be based on the three approaches that have been highlighted above, however in order to implement the policy effectively; government support is required to a great extent. Apart from that, adequate financial resources are required, which would allow in investing the education plan, along with investing in the carbon monitoring system (OECD, 2012). Further effective manpower is also required. With the help of effective and well trained manpower, the country would be able to make sure that it is able to educate the people related to climate change and the impact of tourism towards it. Thus, it is believed that the policy would be able to ensure responsibility of the citizen.
With the implementation of this framework, it is likely that the country would be able to lower the emission of GHG gas not only from the vehicles but also from buildings (Commonwealth of Australia, 2017). The disclosure of the energy efficiency rating of commercial buildings could affect the larger hotels and tourism retailers, thereby affecting the tourism profitability. However, it would on the other hand, make sure that they are able to lower the impact on the climate and hence lower the effect of climate change. Australia could thus, attract large tourists from the western nations, who prefer a cleaner and healthier environment for tourism. On the other hand, it would also lower the health impact that is created on the people, due to the increasing effect of climate change taking place in the country.
Proposed process
The stakeholders for this policy have been delineated above. However, this section would elaborate on how the stakeholders would be involved in the planning process. It is not possible to involve all the stakeholders in the planning process (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2014). The government authorities would be met with by the important officials of the tourism agency and briefed on the policy. Once passed by the authorities, a section of the population would be surveyed as to their requirement of such a policy and their willingness to adopt one. Since, the people of the country are very important stakeholders of the policy therefore, this is essential. After that having gained the consensus of the people, the policy draft would be reviewed by the top management levels of the company. If changes are recommended, then the draft would again be re-framed by the policy-making body. The rudiments of the policy would be opened up to the public in order to understand if they are accepting it. If the public do not find it suitable, then it would again be reviewed by the top management officials. Once, passed it would then again by sent for verification to the government authorities and if passed it would then be declared as passed.
The policy since related to tourism, would be tested on the incoming tourists to the country. If within a time frame of a year, the policy is able to make any notable changes within the environmental context, then the policy would be considered a success. However, if the plan of action fails to bring about even 1% change within the environmental setting, then it would be considered a failure and rejected forever.
References
Aikman, A. (2018) ‘$40bn at risk’ as climate change threatens tourism, [Online], Available: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/40bn-at-risk-as-climate-change-threatens-tourism/news-story/1f58a6533d8541a010bd52c098f399a8 [01 September 2018].
Amelung, B. and Nicholls, S. (2014) 'Implications of climate change for tourism in Australia', Tourism Management, vol. 41, pp. 228-244.
Amelung, B. and Nicholls, S. (2014) 'Implications of climate change for tourism in Australia', Tourism Management, vol. 41, pp. 228-244.
Becken, S. and Clapcott, R. (2011) 'National tourism policy for climate change', Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-17.
Carroll, A. and Buchholtz, A. (2014) Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management , Nelson Education.
Cashman, A., Cumberbatch, J. and Moore, W. (2012) 'The effects of climate change on tourism in small states: evidence from the Barbados case', Tourism Review, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 17-29.
Cimons, M. (2017) Economic Inequality Is Driving Climate Change, [Online], Available: https://nexusmedianews.com/economic-inequality-is-driving-climate-change-a02167047e74 [01 September 2018].
Commonwealth of Australia (2017) 2017 Review of Climate Change Policies, [Online], Available: https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/18690271-59ac-43c8-aee1-92d930141f54/files/2017-review-of-climate-change-policies.pdf [01 Sept 2018].
Department of the Environment and Energy (2018) Climate change impacts in Australia, [Online], Available: https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science-data/climate-science/impacts [01 August 2018].
Font, X., Elgammal, I. and Lamond, I. (2017) 'Greenhushing: the deliberate under communicating of sustainability practices by tourism businesses.', Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 1007-1023.
Hulme, M. (2016) '1.5 C and climate research after the Paris Agreement', Nature Climate Change, vol. 6, no. 3, p. 222.
Hutchens, G. (2018) Top 1% of Australians own more wealth than bottom 70% combined, [Online], Available: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/22/top-1-per-cent-of-australians-own-more-wealth-than-bottom-70-per-cent-combined [01 September 2018].
Liu, Z., Feng, K., Davis, S.J., Guan, D., Chen, B., Hubacek, K. and Yan, J. (2016) 'Understanding the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and the implication for achieving climate change mitigation targets', Applied Energy, vol. 184, pp. 737-741.
Ndife, C.F. (2014) 'Business Environment and Survival of the Tourism Inductry', IOSR Journal of Business and Management, vol. 16, no. 10, pp. 78-83.
News (2018) What would Australia look like with a population of 36 million?, [Online], Available: https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/what-would-australia-look-like-with-a-population-of-36-million/news-story/1a48f87cc69501242821a7c796f159e8 [01 September 2018].
Nickerson, N.P., Becerra, L. and Zumstein, P. (2011) 'Climate Change & Tourism Literature Review', Institute forTourism and Recreation Research Publications, p. 234.
OECD (2012) CLIMATE CHANGE AND TOURISM POLICY IN OECD COUNTRIES, [Online], Available: https://www.oecd.org/cfe/tourism/48681944.pdf [01 Sept 2018].
Rogelj, J., Den Elzen, M., Höhne, N., Fransen, T., Fekete, H., Winkler, H., Schaeffer, R., Sha, F., Riahi, K. and Meinshausen, M. (2016) ' Paris Agreement climate proposals need a boost to keep warming well below 2 C', Nature, vol. 534, no. 7609, p. 631.
Scott, D., Gössling, S. and Hall, C.M. (2012) 'International tourism and climate change', Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 213-232.
Slezak, M. (2017) Australia's greenhouse gas emissions highest on record, [Online], Available: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/11/australias-transport-emissions-in-past-year-the-highest-on-record [01 September 2018].
Smith, S.L. (2014) Tourism analysis: A handbook, Routledge.
Tourism Australia (2018) OUR ORGANISATION, [Online], Available: https://www.tourism.australia.com/en/about/our-organisation.html [01 September 2018].
