An environmental, social and economic exploration of climate change impacts on Australian freshwater tourism: a rapid review of the literature
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Purpose The impact of climate change on Australian freshwater ecosystems has been clearly acknowledged, yet little is known about how climate change affects Australian freshwater tourism. This rapid review of the literature aimed to explore this pressing issue using lenses of environmental, social and economic justice. Design/methodology/approach A systematic search of electronic databases and available grey literature was completed in February 2023. Database searching identified 417 records. After removal of 36 duplicates, 381 records were screened, with 336 articles excluded. Another four publications were identified through hand-searching and a final review of 20 publications was completed in May 2023. Findings Very few publications examined climate change impacts on Australian freshwater tourism, and there was a paucity of Indigenous-led research despite increased recognition of Indigenous water rights. Publications observing freshwater tourism’s vulner ability to climate change, particularly in the Murray Darling Basin, emphasised inaction and communities’ unpreparedness despite long-term acknowledgment of this issue. Originality/value This is the first review of literature that addresses climate change and Australian freshwater tourism. Research that centres Indigenous cultural knowledge of Country and is codesigned with rural communities is required to understand and respond to the urgency of climate change impacts on freshwater ecosystems and communities.
Source: Journal of Tourism Futures
Institution: La Trobe University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4407994518