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Location: Western Water Assessment > > Climate and Tourism Workshop, Jan 2007

Climate and Tourism Workshop
January 23-24, 2007 NCAR, Boulder, Colorado

Workshop Description: This workshop will focus on the development of a strategic research agenda to assess the economic, socio-cultural and environmental implications of climate extremes, variability and change for sustainable tourism. It will identify the key informational needs of tourism decision makers in business, research, academia and local, state, and federal government.  This workshop will set the foundation for future studies that assess, identify, and quantify the possible impacts of climate change on tourism, tourist destinations and tourist's perceptions. Click here for related academic research and literature.

Target Region: Colorado Plateau states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah

Objectives of Workshop:
  1. Develop a strategy for raising awareness of issues linking tourism and climate seasonally and on a longer time-scale.
  2. Develop a framework for collaborative research on climatic risks, opportunities, and research/information needs for reducting impacts on tourism and recreation industries on the Colorado Plateau; i.e. What are key questions, what are the crticial information gaps?, and where are the key entry points for such information?
  3. Identify sources of data and potential partnerships to investigate the interactions between tourism and climate variability and change and to provie usable information for planning and managment.
  4. Develop critical indicators and threshold values of climate-based indicies for tourism and recreation
  5. Develop a database of indicators to help provide information and guidance to stakeholder communities

Workshop Presentations:

  • "Tourism and Climate Workshop: Introduction and Overview," Patrick Long, University of Colorado Leeds School of Business
  • "The Beginning of a Conversation about Climate and Tourism," Mary Ann Mahoney, Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB)
  • "Vail Resorts and Sustainability: An Operational Approach," Luke Cartin, Operations Manager, Vail Resort 
  • "Colorado Plateau Climate: Future Trends and Vulnerabilities," Steve, Gray, WY State Climatologist, University of Wyoming

    • Sponsers: NOAA/CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center, Center for Sustainable Tourism, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado

    For more information, please contact the planning team:
    Patrick Long, Director, Center for Sustainable Tourism patrick.long@colorado.edu
    Christina Alvord, Western Water Assessment christina.alvord@noaa.gov
    Brad Udall, Director, Western Water Assessment, NOAA, CIRES  bradley.udall@noaa.gov
    Roger Pulwarty, Director, National Integrated Drought Information System roger.pulwarty@noaa.gov

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