Outputs:  

Output 1: Final Report 

Body of Research: The PO will work with a contractor to gather a body of research on the following:

a) The risk Sea Level Rise (SLR) poses to tourism SMEs and coastal infrastructure.

b) The risk Extreme Sea Events pose to tourism SMEs and coastal infrastructure.

c) Best Practices for APEC economies and APEC SMEs to mitigate those risks. 

The PO will work with the contractor to collect data from participating economies, and ensure the data is representative of the diversity of economies in the APEC region. The contractor will disseminate a survey to all member economies to ask for data they may have related to sea level rise, flooding, and tourism SMEs. The surveys will offer a standardized format to collect data.  A number of economies (up to 8) can volunteer to offer data for case studies that will highlight more in-depth research for how their tourism industry is exposed to sea level-related risks or how the government and/or tourism enterprises are mitigating those risks. The number of case studies is limited to 8 economies in order to allow for an in-depth look at a few representative examples and best practices. In selecting the highlighted case studies, the project team will seek to include diverse experiences, economy size, and development level of tourism economy to ensure a representative sample of APEC member economies.  Collecting data from volunteer economies for case studies will involve the surveys, as well as follow-up virtual interviews and correspondence with the project team and the contractor to gain additional insight. Priority for the case studies will be given to co-sponsoring economies. 

The final report will be an assessment of no more than 40 pages building upon the body of research collected. The report will be an APEC publication. The report will contain the following:

a)   cover page

b)   executive summery

c)   table of contents

d)   introduction

e)   data assessment on the risk sea level rise and extreme sea event pose to APEC economies overall and tourism SMEs specifically

f)     case studies of up to eight economies

g)   recommendations for policy makers

h)   best practices for tourism SMEs         

Output 2: Policy Dialogue: Hybrid Event

A hybrid virtual policy dialogue will be held to present the findings of the report and engage member economies. The project team will host a panel of experts alongside the 2023 meeting that will be broadcast virtually to participating economies.  The contractor will present the findings of the reports and the case studies The contractor and the project team will work together to create a presentation on the findings of the work, including visual representations of relevant data.  The contractor and the project team will reach out to experts related to sea level rise, travel and tourism, SMEs, and development to create two panels that will build off the presentations of findings and case studies from the final report. Discussion between the panelists and virtual participants will allow for economies to engage with experts to ask questions and discuss best practices. The project team will reach out to academics, researchers, and scientists from public or private universities focusing on travel and tourism, sustainable tourism and development, or climate change to participate in the audience, ask questions, and offer comments.

The virtual policy dialogue will be held alongside the Spring 2023 APEC meetings. The event will consist of two 1-hour 15 minute panels, with a 20 minute beak in between.  A draft agenda is included below:

Panel 1: Sea Level Rise and APEC Economies

a) Welcome and Remarks from the Project team (5 minutes)

b) Presentation of the final report’s findings on Sea Level Rise  (25 minutes)

c) Guest Speakers (up to 3) (20 minutes)

d) Q&A and discussion (25 minutes) 

Panel 2: Case Studies and Tourism SMEs

a)  Welcome and Remarks from Project Team (5 minutes)

b)  Presentation of Case Studies and best practices (25 minutes)

c)  Guest Speakers (up to 3) (20 minutes)

d)  Q&A and Discussion  (25 minutes) 

Outcomes:  

1.  Short-Term Impacts: Increased Knowledge

a.  Data gathering and sharing among APEC economies will provide a base of knowledge of the risks of sea level rise to APEC economies.

b. Increased knowledge on the impact on tourism SMEs as a consequence of sea level rise and extreme weather events associated with Sea Level Rise (such as storm surges and flooding).

c.  Increased knowledge on best practices and experiences from APEC economies related to adaptation strategies to reduce impacts and economic losses and increase sustainability.

2.  Medium-Term Impacts: Public Policy Linking Rising Sea Levels and Tourism

a. Contribute to the development of public policies that link climate change with tourism strategy, such as tourism strategic plans, climate adaptation plans, or tourism policy. The results expected after the report are the ability of member economies to advance the issue of sea level rise, share experiences, and generate multi stakeholder engagement that will encourage sustainable and resilient tourism policy.

3. Long-Term Impacts: Enhanced cooperation among APEC economies on tourism policies related to the effects of climate change. 

Beneficiaries:  Policy makers: Participants from APEC economies and travel and tourism policy makers, especially those along coastal zones or areas at high risk of flooding or sea level rise; private and localized government organizations involved in tourism development, such as tourism associations and Destination Management Organizations (DMOs); and Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) NGOs. Communities and community leaders in APEC economies, including village leaders, mayors, and representative NGOs involved in tourism policy or community sustainability planning. 

Other APEC leaders involved either directly or indirectly with travel and tourism or climate change, such as groups responsible for oceans and fisheries (OFWG), emergency preparedness, small and medium enterprises, and women and the economy. The TWG plans on engaging APEC fora during the research phase of the project and will invite them to the virtual event. Their input will provide vital context to the risks presented by rising sea levels and Extreme Sea Events, and they will benefit from research on how tourism SMEs can play a role in mitigating those risks and add sustainable practices. 

The project team will reach out to contacts in the TWG as well as other relevant APEC working groups to target relevant and qualified participants in APEC economies.

Private Sector: This project will focus on the impact to tourism Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including hotels and lodging, rental cars, recreation, and tour operators, that wish to utilize sustainable practices and reduce their individual risk. Best practices will also benefit larger enterprises, such as larger hotels, recreation, and destinations, to mitigate their exposure to sea level rise or extreme sea level events.

Multilateral Organizations: OECD, UNWTO, and G20. Information-sharing dialogue(s) with WTTC, PATA, OECD, and other multilateral and international organizations on the margins of TWG meetings. By providing an initial body of work establishing an assessment of the impacts of rising sea levels on APEC economies and tourism MSMEs in the region, as well as best practices for tourism SMEs to mitigate these impacts, other multilateral organizations can benefit by analyzing linkages between rising sea levels and tourism. While the focus of the research will be limited to APEC economies, the best practices can be applied more broadly, and the work can be built upon. The final report will be disseminated to tourism groups among other multilateral organizations to share findings and coordinate on future work.

Academics: researchers and scientists from public or private universities focusing on travel and tourism, sustainable tourism and development, or climate change.