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Climate change will affect tourism at several temporal and spatial levels. This chapter focuses on the quantification of effects and the development of strategies to reduce extremes and frequencies as well as thresholds in tourism areas. Knowledge about possibilities for mitigation and adaptation of current and expected climate conditions requires interdisciplinary approaches and solutions. Several examples are presented, including the effects of trees against climate change and extreme events (heat waves), behavior adaptations, urban and regional planning measures, bioclimatic conditions in the Mediterranean and human–biometeorological conditions under climate change conditions, and user-friendly computer tools for the quantification of urban bioclimate conditions.

This case examines the concept and role of adaptability in destination governance, particularly as it relates to hosting a mega-event such as the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It describes how the Resort Municipality of Whistler in British Columbia, Canada, used its broad sustainability-focused destination governance system to guide and manage relationships and outcomes related to the Games. Through its strategic and adaptive interactions with the International Olympic Committee and the Vancouver Organizing Committee, the Resort Municipality of Whistler leveraged unprecedented sustainability benefits from this mega-event.

This chapter discusses the creation of The Icarus Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 2007 to address the issues of climate change and tourism in Canada. As Canada's first nongovernmental organization in this area, the role of the foundation will be described and current initiatives undertaken will be outlined. Challenges to starting a nongovernmental organization in Canada will also be discussed, such as lack of funding, an unmotivated tourism industry, relaxed government regulations, concern about climate change, and its impacts on the tourism industry. The Icarus Foundation began and continues to operate with skeletal staff and the manpower of a few individuals, precariously facing the potential to become extinct if action and support are not provided.

Climate change poses a significant challenge for the tourism industry and is a further inhibitor to the sustainable development objectives of tourism destinations. Recognizing the importance of these issues in 2011 and drawing together a number of the leading works in the field, this chapter provides a contextual background to climate change and tourism, debates the implications for the industry and issues such as adaptation, mitigation, and poverty alleviation. The discussion concludes with recommendations for governance and policy, adaptation and mitigation, and knowledge management, research, and education.