Factor in Global Warming when Developing Hong Kong's Tourism

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2024 was the warmest year on record, with the annual average global temperature about 1.55℃ above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) levels, marking the first year to exceed the 1.5℃ level. The last ten years (2015-2024) were the warmest ten years on record globally.

The above news about the global temperature from the Hong Kong Observatory sounds familiar to most of us, though it is hard to relate the scientific description of dry numbers to our daily lives.  

So, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology introduced "outdoor days" concept to make the abstruse plain for the general public. "Outdoor days" mean the number of clement days suitable for outdoor activities.

The researchers use climate models to project future temperatures based on past weather data.  If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, countries at low latitude (near the equator) will have longer and hotter summers, and shorter or no winter, by the end of the century.  This will greatly reduce their "outdoor days". However, countries at high latitude (near either Poles) will have warmer instead of freezing winters and moderate weather all year round, which means more "outdoor days".

At the moment, tourist sites in many countries have taken the brunt of extreme weather. Heat waves have forced the Greek authorities to change the opening hours of or even shut down the Acropolis of Athens to protect tourists from heatstroke. Scarce snowfall has made ski resorts in the Alps in northern Italy reliant on artificial snow to stay open.

Fluctuations in the number of "outdoor days" can change the tourists' travel patterns and result in early or late, longer or shorter, high seasons. The understandable predisposition to seek cool refuge from sweltering heat will decide people's travel destinations and consequently reshape the tourism industry with boom in new destinations and bust in the old.

Challenge of Global Warming for Hong Kong Tourism

Though Hong Kong was not mentioned in the MIT research, it is not hard to foresee semblance of a tropical climate in subtropical Hong Kong in future. Hong Kong's number of "outdoor days" is expected to go down.    

A better response to climate change is needed for Hong Kong if it wants to stay as a tourist city. Cities in the tropics, such as Singapore where one can have enjoyable strolls under covered walkways and pedestrian pathways in tourist areas, may be good examples of city planning.

In recent years, a new trend dubbed "wilderness travel" has arisen as more and more visitors are attracted to Hong Kong's natural wonders. Unfamiliar with Hong Kong's countryside and misguided by the easy hikes, tourists tend to underestimate the risks of heatstroke and heat exhaustion when they go hiking in hot weather.  And help is not easy to get in the woods. Tourism promotion should include information on risk of outdoor activities, such as advice on change of itinerary or heat hazards on popular trails when the hot weather warning is issued.  

Planning of new attractions and facilities to make Hong Kong a tourist destination should take into account the impact of climate change on Hong Kong's tourism. Having a safe and pleasant travel experience in Hong Kong brings tourists.