Climate change and adaptation in mountain tourism: A case study of the mountaineering community in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism at Lincoln University

Abstract

Climate change has affected various sectors, including nature-based recreation and adventure tourism in Nepal, where the mountain communities of the Himalaya are heavily reliant on the visitor economy. Climate change has increasingly altered the physical environment of high-altitude mountain regions, with significant implications for the mountaineering community. It has led to transformation of the Himalayan landscape through glacial retreat, exposed rock faces, widening crevasses, melting of permafrost leading to increased rockfall and more unpredictable climbing conditions. Such changes create significant physical risks, disrupt established seasonal planning, and threaten tourism-dependent livelihoods in the region. This research explores the impacts of climate change on the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) region, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to Sagarmatha/ Mt. Everest, with particular attention to its implications for the mountaineering community and their adaptive strategies. Using the Tourism Adaptation Classification (TAC) framework, this study examines the adaptation strategies of the SNP mountaineering community. Semi-structured interviews (n=15) were conducted with a primary focus on mountaineering guides who play crucial roles serving guiding companies, trekking guides, and other related adventure tourism providers. The interviews were supplemented by secondary data analysis. The findings highlight a range of reactive, transitional, and transformative adaptation strategies. Reactive measures include extending trekking seasons and promoting winter expeditions, while transitional strategies involve selecting alternative routes and transport options to cope with unpredictable weather. Transformative adaptations highlight increased focus on professional safety training, sustainability practices, and voluntary restrictions on climbing fragile and dangerous peaks to reduce risk. The study also identifies key challenges to adaptation, including commercial pressures that can promote environmentally damaging practices, power imbalances within the tourism sector, and weak enforcement of policies. While the mountaineering community holds essential knowledge for fostering resilience, their perspectives are often overlooked in policy and planning frameworks. This research contributes insight into the ways in which adventure tourism businesses in the mountaineering sector are evolving to continue their resiliency in the midst of rapidly changing climate.