ODT: Climate change may favour resort

Joanne Carroll of the Otago Daily Times reports that climate change could in fact benefit Queenstown’s tourism industry as many of the other snowfields in the world disappear, according to local scientists.

New Zealand experts in climate science will be giving a talk in which they will discuss the effects of climate change on the South Island over the next century, and its implications for tourism.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“In a talk titled “Climate change, snow, ice and tourism”, the pair will draw on the latest findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Meteorological Organisation and Niwa to address what climate changes can be expected for the South Island this century.

“They will also discuss the potential impacts on snow and ice on South Island mountains and the potential implications for the tourist industry.

“Prof Fitzharris said they would be using the Franz Josef and Tasman glaciers, snow on ski fields and alpine scenery as case studies in the lecture.”