CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN URBAN TOURISM DESTINATIONS: INSIGHTS FROM BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE

Climate change is one of the leading challenges confronting urban tourism destinations in the Global South. Nevertheless, this issue is relatively neglected in existing scholarship and most especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Climate change is an integral part of the ‘riskscape’ of contemporary urban Africa. The novel contribution of this article is to investigate climate change adaptation by urban tourism businesses in the setting of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city. The research uses a quantitative research design to investigate climate adaptation and mitigation of the tourism industry in Bulawayo. In total, 160 responses were obtained using a stratified random sampling technique to ensure representation from the different sub-sectors of the tourism industry. Key findings reveal leading initiatives as the adoption of energy-efficient technologies, the use of renewable energy, training employees in sustainable and green practices, the installation of water - saving systems, climate emergency response systems, collaboration with other stakeholders on climate action, and efforts to integrate climate risks in strategic planning. Overall, the study adds to the limited existing literature in the African context concerning urban tourism and climate adaptation strategies and their challenges.