Tanzania is one of the world’s most visited countries for nature-based tourism (NBT). Tanzanian NBT has existed for centuries and its main tourist attractions in national parks are at risk from changes in climate and land cover. However, studies that address the impacts of environmental change on NBT are inadequate. My thesis fills this knowledge gap. It provides insights into past, current and future drivers of change that are important to understand tourism’s current state-of-the-art.

My research process and new methods (e.g. eco-parcel) developed innovate tourism-resources and environmental impact assessments. The key findings are that tourist attractions emerge and are connected to specific environments that define their attractiveness. My research assesses likely losses or gains of attractions when their supporting environments change. My thesis informs science-based management and provides insights on how to proactively address the impacts of environmental change on individual attractions under the current rate of environmental change.