Table 1. Forward-thinking research... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1.

Forward-thinking research themes regarding climate change impacts on the hospitality and tourism industry

Themes	Related question	Possible responses
Theme 1: Sustainable practices and adaptation strategies	• How can the hospitality and tourism industry adopt sustainable practices to mitigate the impacts of climate change? • What adaptation strategies can hotels and tourism destinations implement to cope with the changing climate? • How can the tourism industry innovate to address challenges associated with seasonality and promote year-round sustainability?	• Research can focus on identifying best practices for reducing carbon emissions, implementing renewable energy sources, promoting responsible tourism behaviors and fostering partnerships with local communities for sustainable development. • Studies can explore innovative solutions such as resilient infrastructure design, adaptive management strategies for natural disasters, severe weather, diversification of tourism offerings and the integration of climate risk assessments into business planning. • Research can explore innovative strategies for diversifying tourism offerings, extending the tourism season through creative marketing campaigns, developing new products and experiences that appeal to off-peak travelers and leveraging technology to optimize resource allocation and capacity management.
Theme 2: Consumer engagement and ethical consumption	• How does consumer awareness of climate change impact their travel preferences and choices?	• Research can investigate consumer perceptions of climate-related risks, preferences for sustainable tourism products and services, willingness to pay for eco-friendly accommodations and the effectiveness of educational campaigns in promoting responsible travel behavior.
Theme 3: Toward a net-zero emissions policy and regulatory framework	• What strategies can the hospitality and tourism industry adopt to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and mitigate their environmental footprint? • What policy interventions are needed to support climate change mitigation and adaptation in the hospitality and tourism sector?	• Research can explore innovative approaches such as carbon offsetting programs, investment in renewable energy infrastructure, adoption of circular economy principles and the implementation of carbon capture and storage technologies. • Studies can examine the effectiveness of existing policies related to carbon pricing, environmental regulations, land use planning and incentives for green investments.
Theme 4: Technological innovations and green infrastructure	• How can technological innovations and green infrastructure contribute to climate resilience in the hospitality and tourism industry? • How can AI technologies be leveraged to enhance climate resilience and sustainability in the hospitality and tourism sector?	• Research can focus on emerging technologies such as smart energy management systems, green building materials, low-carbon transportation options and nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. • Research can explore the potential applications of AI for predictive modeling of climate-related risks, optimization of resource management and energy efficiency, personalized tourism experiences and real-time decision support systems for crisis response and adaptation planning. In addition, studies can assess the ethical implications, privacy concerns and socio-economic impacts of AI adoption in the hospitality and tourism industry. We call for studies that assess innovative solutions (e.g. Vida Kit as a virtual influencer) that prevent the application of AI in misinformation and disinformation about the climate change particularly in the hospitality and tourism industry (Gerrath et al., 2024; Olya et al., 2023).
Theme 5: Interactional effects of multiple crises	• How do interactions between climate change and other crises, such as the rising cost of living and political instabilities, impact the resilience of the hospitality and tourism industry?	• Research can investigate the interconnected nature of multiple crises, examining how climate-related events exacerbate socio-economic vulnerabilities, contribute to political instability and affect consumer behavior and travel patterns. Studies can also explore strategies for building resilience to compound risks and enhancing adaptive capacity at both individual and systemic levels.

Themes	Related question	Possible responses
Theme 1: Sustainable practices and adaptation strategies	• How can the hospitality and tourism industry adopt sustainable practices to mitigate the impacts of climate change?• What adaptation strategies can hotels and tourism destinations implement to cope with the changing climate?• How can the tourism industry innovate to address challenges associated with seasonality and promote year-round sustainability?	• Research can focus on identifying best practices for reducing carbon emissions, implementing renewable energy sources, promoting responsible tourism behaviors and fostering partnerships with local communities for sustainable development.• Studies can explore innovative solutions such as resilient infrastructure design, adaptive management strategies for natural disasters, severe weather, diversification of tourism offerings and the integration of climate risk assessments into business planning.• Research can explore innovative strategies for diversifying tourism offerings, extending the tourism season through creative marketing campaigns, developing new products and experiences that appeal to off-peak travelers and leveraging technology to optimize resource allocation and capacity management.
Theme 2: Consumer engagement and ethical consumption	• How does consumer awareness of climate change impact their travel preferences and choices?	• Research can investigate consumer perceptions of climate-related risks, preferences for sustainable tourism products and services, willingness to pay for eco-friendly accommodations and the effectiveness of educational campaigns in promoting responsible travel behavior.
Theme 3: Toward a net-zero emissions policy and regulatory framework	• What strategies can the hospitality and tourism industry adopt to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and mitigate their environmental footprint?• What policy interventions are needed to support climate change mitigation and adaptation in the hospitality and tourism sector?	• Research can explore innovative approaches such as carbon offsetting programs, investment in renewable energy infrastructure, adoption of circular economy principles and the implementation of carbon capture and storage technologies.• Studies can examine the effectiveness of existing policies related to carbon pricing, environmental regulations, land use planning and incentives for green investments.
Theme 4: Technological innovations and green infrastructure	• How can technological innovations and green infrastructure contribute to climate resilience in the hospitality and tourism industry?• How can AI technologies be leveraged to enhance climate resilience and sustainability in the hospitality and tourism sector?	• Research can focus on emerging technologies such as smart energy management systems, green building materials, low-carbon transportation options and nature-based solutions for climate adaptation.• Research can explore the potential applications of AI for predictive modeling of climate-related risks, optimization of resource management and energy efficiency, personalized tourism experiences and real-time decision support systems for crisis response and adaptation planning. In addition, studies can assess the ethical implications, privacy concerns and socio-economic impacts of AI adoption in the hospitality and tourism industry. We call for studies that assess innovative solutions (e.g. Vida Kit as a virtual influencer) that prevent the application of AI in misinformation and disinformation about the climate change particularly in the hospitality and tourism industry (Gerrath et al., 2024; Olya et al., 2023).
Theme 5: Interactional effects of multiple crises	• How do interactions between climate change and other crises, such as the rising cost of living and political instabilities, impact the resilience of the hospitality and tourism industry?	• Research can investigate the interconnected nature of multiple crises, examining how climate-related events exacerbate socio-economic vulnerabilities, contribute to political instability and affect consumer behavior and travel patterns. Studies can also explore strategies for building resilience to compound risks and enhancing adaptive capacity at both individual and systemic levels.

Source: Authors