Nature-based tourism, which encompasses activities undertaken in natural settings where the individual activity (e.g., hiking, skiing, sightseeing) or the quality of the visitor experience depends on and/or is enhanced by the natural environment, is a major component of Canada's tourism industry. The country's national and provincial parks represent a significant resource for nature-based tourism. A principal determinant of nature-based tourism in Canada is the climate. Many studies document the importance of climate for nature-based tourism, and tourism and recreation more broadly. Climate influences tourism in two main ways: Directly: by influencing
Indirectly: by impacting the physical resources (e.g., snow cover, biodiversity, water levels) on which naturebased tourism depends. The vulnerability of nature-based tourism in Canada's park systems, or any park system worldwide for that matter, to climate variability and future climate change has not been adequately assessed. Any changes in the length and quality of nature-based tourism seasons induced by global climate change could have considerable implications for park visitation and visitor-related management issues. Furthermore, given the diverse natural landscapes among Canada's national and provincial parks, any changes in the natural characteristics of park environments could negatively affect tourism by reducing their perceived attractiveness among local, national and even international visitors.