CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Context of the Problem
The strong and sustained rise of Hospitality and Tourism industry
over the past fifty years is one of the most remarkable phenomena of
our time. This activity continues to grow steadily, In spite of some various
factors such as climate change, which obviously affect the industry. With the
substantial growth in the Hospitality and Tourism industry, this sector has
become one of the world biggest industries. It's also the largest and
fastest growing and dynamic economic sector (J. M Hamilton and
Richard, S. J. Tol (2003). The Hospitality and Tourism industry employs more
people than the agricultural, automobile, electronics, steel and textile
industry combined. This sector currently supports more than 21.5 million jobs,
and by the year 2010, it's projected to be the largest industry in the world
with an estimation of 10.5 employees in United States of America and more
than 112 million people internationally (Daya, 2007). To summarize this growth,
the Secretary General of UNTWO (United Nations Tourism World Organization),
Francesco Frangially (2007) emphasized during his key note speech on the
opening of the ITB-International Tourism Fair in Berlin, that the world Tourism
has entered into a historically new phase of growth, it broke through the
barrier of 800 million international arrival last year and reached 842
million...
The International Tourism receipt has reached US$680billions in
2005, making one
Of the largest categories of International
Trade, exceeding or equaling that of oil exports, food products or
even that of car and transport. For many others counties or regions in the
world, this sector represents the most important source of income and foreign
currency. So, Hospitality and Tourism industry has become a vital
element of the Global Economy, generating $3.5 trillions in annual revenue.
US is an important component of that Global Industry , ranked
among the top ten International Tourism destinations in term of
tourists arrivals (World Tourism Organization 2002) , and possessing
strong domestic tourism markets(Daniel Scott ,2003), including a wide range of
tourism resources (Natural, cultural, capital, and human) . Here, as in many
part of the world the revolution of Hospitality and Tourism still obviously
related to some factors (political, economical, socio cultural, and even
natural such as climate. C.R de Freitas (1999), in a study of concepts and
methods in Tourism climate research pointed out that it is generally accepted
that climate is an important resource base for tourism regions because it
determines the suitability of the region for tourism. Also, a range of
potential climate change impact on the Hospitality and Tourism sector were
identified in North America chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change's Third Assessment Report (Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability, section
15.2.6-IPC001).
In The United States of America, climate has become an important
factor as Tourism obviously relates to it (M. Hamilton and S. J. Tol, (2004).
Therefore, due to the importance of this issue, it is still surprisingly
noticeable that the Hospitality and Tourism literature pays little attention to
climate and climatic change (Witt and Witt,1995) .One of the reason perhaps
should be because in US an in many part of the world, climate is deemed
constant and beyond control. However, up to date, the literature concerning
this phenomenon has started to grow (Nicholls, 2004), and the International
Community has become aware of it. In recognizing the confrontation between
Tourism/ Hospitality and climate, many Internationals conferences on climate
change and Tourism was held as a global strategy, respectively in Djerba,
Tunisia from 9-11 April 2003, Beijing 2005, Madrid/Berlin2007. Those
Conferences was all convened and organized by the World Tourism Organization
with the support of the Local Governments and under
sponsorship of some International Partner Organizations such as UNESCO, to
evaluate the relation between climate change and tourism. In Djerba for
example, the conference was well attended. It brought together over 140
delegates from some 45 countries, drown from representatives of the
scientific community, various United Nations agencies, the tourism industry Non
Governmental Organizations, National Tourism offices, National and Local
Governments. This conference offered the unique opportunity for Tourism
interest and scientists to exchange different view on the consequences,
opportunities and risk in the Tourism sector as a result of changes in
world climate.
The main conclusion and plan of action for this conference
covered different topics such as a resume in lay term of the current
scientific thinking on the subject, a detail of all the activities of the
relevant International Organizations acting in this field, a background
paper on the impact of the climate change on the tourism industry case study
from around the world, detailing the impact of climate change on a variety of
tourism activities and in a variety of location including US. Theses
Internationals conferences have provided one of the first opportunities
for all interested parties to come together and have represented an important
step in addressing this key subject. It has also helped to sign post the way to
further analysis and actions that are required. As the phenomenon of climate
change
Appears to go beyond borders, the Djerba Declaration on
Tourism and Climate change marks an important stage in establishing a serious
international attention under the leadership of World Tourism
Organization, and their concluding summary of the International Tourism and
Hospitality in the 21st century conference. Butler and Jones (2001)
indicated that climate change could have greater effect on tomorrow's
world, in Tourism and Hospitality in particular than anything else. This
appears as a great challenge for US Tourism which represents one of the fast
growing and most important sensitive sector of its economy. The area affected
includes, outdoor recreation, land based activities, airbase activities,
general activities, sightseeing, entertainment, sport-tourism, tourist events
and so many others.
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