2. Method II

Research on vulnerability is still not very widespread, even if an increased number of studies have emerged in the last years. A common methodology does - and perhaps could - not exist (each case faces different problems and research questions). Here a mix of several methods is used: in a first step, a literature review and a follow-up discussion with experts and stakeholders allowed for defining the most relevant impacts and indicators depicting the vulnerability of tourism in Switzerland in relation to climate change. Experts were then interviewed using a Pairwise Comparison (AHP) Multicriteria Analysis (MCA) in order to assess the relative weights of these indicators and impacts. This is a subjective assessment, depending on experts’ judgment and not an objective evaluation. Information on the indicators was then collected for the 84 different tourism regions considered in our study. Data was mainly obtained from different Swiss Federal Offices and from research groups working in simulating the future impacts.  For some indicators, data was not available at the moment or it was otherwise difficult to obtain for the entire set of considered regions. Indicators with missing values were nonetheless considered in the research in order to define data gaps, areas in where more research should be carried out. Next, the data was treated, aggregated and presented as maps using GIS tools (ArcGIS 9.3). A sensitivity analysis was carried out in order to analyze the results. Finally, a cluster analysis was performed in order to establish similarities between tourism regions. 

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