As global temperatures continue to rise and traditional tourist destinations around the Mediterranean basin continue to be affected, researchers are turning their attention to the potential of the Black Sea coast as an alternative tourist destination.
Nazan An and Tufan Turp, teachers at Straits University's Center for Applied Research on Climate Change and Policy, believe that the Black Sea is ideal weather for summer tourism and an important option for tourism to adapt to climate change.
Their study entitled "Summer Tourism Potential in the Black Sea Region", conducted by the Center for Climate Change and Policy Applied Research at Straits University, suggests that the Black Sea coast could become an important tourist destination in the future. Cities such as Sakarya, Ordu, Samsun, Trabzon, and Rize are considered to have the potential to provide a pleasant climate for beach tourism.
Discussing their findings with the Anadolu News Agency, Ahn explained that the study stemmed from the impact of climate change on popular summer tourist destinations. "We are starting to study the Black Sea region,** which can be considered as an alternative route because temperatures due to climate change have already begun to reach levels that affect human health in popular summer resorts," she noted. ”
Ahn stressed that the impact of climate change varies from region to region and industry, with tourism being one of the most affected. The study focuses on a pessimistic scenario for the period 2026 to 2050 to assess the potential impact on the tourism industry.
"Travel demand and patterns change depending on the season, destination and type," Ahn said. Climate plays a vital role in tourists' decision-making, directly influencing their choices. The study used a holiday climate index, which included factors such as temperature, thermal comfort, aesthetics (precipitation, wind speed, clouds), and beach scores. Separate calculations were made for urban and coastal areas, providing more reliable information on visitor comfort by taking into account multiple climatic variables. ”
Regarding the Black Sea region, Ahn believes that climate change can improve tourism and attract more tourists. However, the expert cautioned that if effective measures are not taken, tourist areas in the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea may suffer economic losses in the short and medium term.
Ahn stressed that in the context of climate change, the identification of alternative tourism routes should be seen as a solution. In terms of climate, the Black Sea coast can be one of the top destinations. Judging by the current climatic conditions of the Black Sea, some regions of the central and western parts of the Black Sea have a Mediterranean climate. The average temperature in the region is over 22 degrees Celsius.
"Countries** and countries need to work with scientists to determine adaptation policies," she said. As in all sectors, climate change adaptation planning in the tourism sector must be carried out in a holistic manner, taking into account the components of all sectors. In the case of tourism, the process is managed both to protect existing destinations and to provide alternative destinations that are compatible with the environment and nature. Climate change must now be fully integrated into development plans at all levels, because we are affected from all angles. ”
Tourist behaviour is often difficult to change, but can change when a heat wave turns into a catastrophe that could trigger large-scale health problems, Tulp noted.
Tulp stressed the need for sustainable tourism investment in the Black Sea region, advocating for the preservation and restoration of natural beauty. He stressed the need to change habits, noting that the tourist season will change, leading to a time difference in demand. Tulpu**, different types of tourism will emerge that may increase demand in areas that are currently less valued in this sector.
"In the future, people will choose destinations such as Giresun and Sinop for summer vacations instead of Antalya, and Antalya in the spring," he said. He also envisioned a trend where people would buy summer homes in northern regions such as the Black Sea, rather than in the south.