If you want to see firsthand the impact of climate change, take a trip to Es Trenc, one of Mallorca's finest beaches. Here, massive concrete bunkers — once built by Spain's then-Dictator Francisco Franco — were originally hidden amid the sand dunes. Today, these structures stand out like sore thumbs — rising sea-water levels have swallowed up parts of the beach and radically altered this coastal landscape. In total, scientists have found that Es Trenc beach is now 40 meters shorter than it once was. If global warming continues as is projected, many more Mallorca beaches will disappear into the seaRecord visitor numbers, vanishing beaches
"We are seeing large-scale land loss in the Mediterranean region," says Thomas Dworak, who coordinated a Federal Environment Agency study on the effects of global warming on tourism. This is a very concerning prospect for islands like Mallorca, which are popular with holidaymakers precisely because of their expansive beaches. For now, though, none of this is reflected in visitor numbers. On the contrary. Mallorca is seeing a record number of guests this summer.
"There is little evidence to suggest that people are changing their travel behavior because of climate change," says Dworak. Even though warnings about the consequences for the tourism industry have been mounting for many years, he says there have only been a few studies that demonstrate concrete effects.