Australian Ski Industry Likely To Disappear By Mid-Century

AUSTRALIA’s ski resorts will not be viable beyond mid-century because of the effects of global warming, tourism experts have warned.

As the Winter Olympics enters its second week in unseasonably warm temperatures that have snow machines working overtime to ensure a reliable supply of white powder, tourism experts say our own ski resorts are exhibiting such steep declines in snowfall their future is bleak. “They will not be viable if this trend continues, as we expect it to,” Professor Susanne Becken from Griffith University’s Griffith Institute for Tourism said.

Becken’s comments are part of a broader call to tourism operators and authorities to consider how to deal with climate change. The Griffith University academic was part of an international research team that assessed the potential impact of climate change on the ski industry in New Zealand and Australia in 2012.

After conducting research at two Snowy Mountains ski sites, it was estimated snow depth at Australian resorts would be between 57 per cent and 78 per cent of 2012 levels by the 2040s, and between 21 per cent and 29 per cent of current depths by the 2090s.

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http://www.couriermail.com.au/travel/travel-news/ski-resorts-threatened-by-global-warming/story-fnjjv9zl-1226827421654