An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Climate Change Preparedness and Action for Small- and Medium-Sized Tourism Enterprises

This exploratory study explores the preparedness and response strategies of tourism businesses to climate change through an in-depth qualitative analysis. Using open-ended questionnaires, we collected detailed narratives from a diverse range of tourism businesses, allowing respondents to express their perceptions, strategies and challenges in their own words. Thematic analysis of the data revealed a wide variation in how businesses understand and respond to climate risks. While most participants acknowledged climate change as a critical issue, many reported significant barriers, such as financial constraints and lack of expertise, which hindered their ability to implement meaningful strategies. Key themes that emerged from the data include the role of external support in overcoming financial and technical challenges, the diversity of mitigation strategies adopted and the gap between climate awareness and practical action. This study pinpoints the need for tailored interventions to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector, highlighting the complexity of translating climate change awareness into tangible business practices. The findings contribute to the growing discourse on sustainable tourism by offering an understanding of the challenges and opportunities that businesses face in addressing climate change.