Tourismus and climate change – regional adaptation strategies

The implementation project „Tourism in times of climate change – Regional adaptation strategies” is situated in the Rostock focus area and develops adaptation strategies for the region’s main tourist area: the beach.

All adaptation strategies in RADOST are being developed in close co-operation with the region’s key stakeholders, along with representatives from the federal level and from municipalities and businesses. This co-operation ensures they are in step with the actual practice and local requirements of new adaptation strategies. By putting strategies into action locally and by streaming the results gained through the implementation process into further developments, the strategies will continuously be adjusted to current conditions and knowledge. Adaptation measures should be specific for the chosen focus region but at the same time be applicable to other destinations within the whole project region.

At the present stage, the following main adaptation options have been identified:

• measures to manage tourism pressure (prevention of congestion, peak load control);
• technical measures to reduce the impact of climate change caused by water deterioration (e.g. algae blooms or increased amounts of seaweed washing up on beaches);
• analysis of tourists‘ perceptions of climate impacts (e.g. interviews, questionnaires) as well as ways to sensitise their perception (development of informative material, exhibitions, training courses for young professionals in the tourism industry; partners: Bäderverband [Association of Coastal Communities] Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Steigenberger Hotel Group);
• modification of beach management (land reclamation, beach cleaning) and development of new financing concepts.

Adaptation measures which prove to be successful during the testing phase are to be continued and developed further by stakeholders independently, with the ultimate goal being the establishment of self-sustaining programs. The project’s medium-term objective is to maintain and possibly expand the competitiveness of the ‘German Baltic coast’ destination.