Impact of rising sea levels on travel and tourism in the Asia-Pacific

In many Asia-Pacific economies tourism is a leading source of export earnings. Tourism creates jobs and sustains employment in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Tourism development in this area located in coastal areas where natural disasters are more common. These events include typhoons, extreme rainfall and sea level rise and all result from climate change.

This online seminar will explore the influence of sea level rise on tourism in the Asia-Pacific.

Participants will learn:

·       about the future structural and environmental changes to coastline caused by sea level rise

·       how the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Fund is investing in developing tools to help tourism businesses adapt to sea level rise

·       about SMEs who have adapted to and mitigated the ill-effects of sea level rise.

Austrade's General Manager - Visitor Economy and Client Programs, will deliver this seminar with guest speakers from the University of Hawaii.

Speakers

• Dr. Charles Fletcher, Interim Dean, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Dr. John C. Crotts, Project Investigator, Director of School of Travel, University of Hawaii at Manoa