Project summary:

Climate Change (CC) affecting the company and affect its economic activities, with a demanding and potentially harmful consequences challenge. Although the effects of CC can be differentiated by sector of activity or geographical location, prevails a new ecological and economic order characterized by the interdependence of human societies on a global scale, and tourism is one of the expressions of this growing interdependence, which gives utmost importance . The CC, in particular those relating to the increase in average air temperature, to heat waves and droughts, demonstrably affect tourism and profitability.

The AC:T project aims to create an integrated approach to support the sector's entrepreneurs of the decision to the integration of adaptation to CC, stop prevent these cause loss of business competitiveness or disfigurement of the quality of hotel service provided. The method supports in performance models consistent observation of existing infrastructure and hotel and socio-economic climate scenarios designed to study the impact of simulation CC and to enable assessment of the resilience of the enterprises, as well as to search for vulnerability indicators. The observation proposal is interdisciplinary and requires the carrying out energy audits, water and socio-organizational 8 hotels (Algarve and Lisbon). The survey and systematization of good practices is one of the goals, with which it aims to produce a brochure to publicize the hotel sector, still conducting training activities. Development of a decision tool should help to facilitate the adoption of adaptation measures CC and mitigation of its effects.

The project mobilizes two state laboratories, the supervisor of the energy efficiency of buildings, a holding entity of urban infrastructure, a representative national association of Portuguese hospitality as well as a significant number of companies that, together, have about a hundred hotels. The management model adopted, strongly participatory, warranties as to achieve the objectives underlying the ADAPT, and guides the skilled team of researchers to respond to the needs and priorities identified in ENAAC, particularly with regard to tourism.