Tourists perceptions of climate change in Cairns, Australia

This paper will briefly review the impacts of climate change on the Wet Tropics and the Great Barrier Reef, and then will discuss the results of an exploratory study into tourists perceptions of 1) the impact of climate change on the Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef and the tourism industry in Cairns, and 2) what tourists can do to mitigate these impacts. A survey was administered to 81 tourists in Cairns, Australia. The results suggest that tourists have a range of outlooks concerning the impact of climate change in Cairns and the role of tourists in mitigating these impacts