Leading tourism into balance
What distinguishes this study is its explicit focus on adaptation, rather than mitigation alone, and its ambition to capture a global snapshot of destination readiness. While climate mitigation remains essential, adaptation has become unavoidable – particularly for destinations already experiencing heat stress, water scarcity, flooding, ecosystem degradation or seasonal instability. “Adaptation is no longer about technical fixes only,” Thomas Frommhold, Project Lead at mascontour, notes. “It is about governance, investment priorities, stakeholder coordination and the ability to rethink tourism models under changing climatic conditions.” Capturing global destination perspectives The survey was open to all tourism actors and required respondents to answer from a specific geographical perspective – international, national, regional or local. This reflects a core assumption underpinning the research: climate adaptation ultimately happens in places. While global agendas matter, the decisive questions are addressed at destination level: • Which risks are most relevant here? • Which assets are vulnerable?
“The real issue now is: are we adapting fast enough”
Are we underestimating certain risks or overestimating our preparedness? For policymakers, the study aims to highlight systemic gaps that cannot be addressed at destination level alone – such as funding frameworks, regulatory alignment or access to climate data and services. For the wider tourism industry, the insights can help shift the conversation from pilot projects towards scalable approaches and shared standards for climate-resilient tourism development. Importantly, the study is intended as a foundation for further work. The findings will inform the development of practical guidance, tools and peer-learning formats that support destinations in translating adaptation concepts into concrete action. Climate adaptation offers a powerful opportunity to redefine destination competitiveness. Destinations that invest early in resilience can enhance visitor safety, protect natural and cultural assets, stabilise seasonality and strengthen local value creation. “Adaptation should not be framed as a cost,” Matthias Beyer argues. “It is an investment in the future relevance of destinations. The later we start, the greater the risks and the more expensive it will be.” Climate adaptation will be a defining test of the industry’s ability to evolve in the future. The Climate Adaptation in Tourism study is one contribution to this journey – not as a final answer, but as an invitation to reflect, discuss and engage. Why ITB Berlin is the right platform? ITB Berlin has long been more than a marketplace. It is a global convenor, bringing together decision-makers from across the tourism ecosystem – public and private, global and local, strategic and operational. For a topic as complex and cross-cutting as climate adaptation, this role is crucial. Adaptation cannot be addressed by destinations acting alone, nor by individual companies or ministries in isolation. It requires shared learning, honest dialogue and coordinated action. By anchoring the study within the ITB ecosystem, the aim is not only to present findings, but to stimulate a broader industry conversation: about priorities, responsibilities and the pace of change.
• Which actors need to be involved? • Which trade-offs are unavoidable?
The study seeks strategic relevance: identifying patterns, tensions and emerging directions that matter for destination decision-makers worldwide. What insights does the industry urgently need? The survey is guided by a set of underlying questions that many destinations are currently grappling with, often in isolation. First, there is a need to understand how seriously destinations perceive climate risks in the near term. Climate adaptation is frequently framed as a long-term agenda, yet many impacts are already affecting tourism operations, visitor experiences and investment decisions today. Second, the industry needs clarity on where destinations actually stand in terms of adaptation readiness. Do strategies exist only on paper, or are they being implemented? Are responsibilities clearly assigned? Are adaptation efforts monitored and financed in a sustainable way? Third, there is growing demand for insight into what kinds of adaptation measures are being prioritised – and why. From nature-based solutions and infrastructure upgrades to product diversification and visitor management, destinations are making very different choices, often under tight constraints. Finally, the study seeks to illuminate where the main bottlenecks lie. Is funding the primary barrier, or governance? Is it a lack of data, expertise, political support, or coordination across sectors? From insights to action: How findings will be used The ultimate value of the survey lies not in the data itself, but in how it can be used. For destinations, the findings are expected to provide a reality check: Where do we stand compared to others? Are we focusing on the right issues?
The results of the survey will be presented during a dedicated session at the ITB Berlin Convention , on Thursday, March 5, 2026 , as part of the Responsible Tourism Track on the Orange Stage . A comprehensive whitepaper with aggregated findings and insights will be published by mascontour thereafter.
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