Rural fires are an increasing risk in many parts of the world, with some of the most destructive in recent years occurring in tourist regions. Due to climate change, these events are expected to become more frequent and intense, particularly in Southern Europe, where the climate is becoming increasingly hot and dry. This region is also heavily dependent on tourism, with the peak season coinciding with the period of highest fire risk. However, despite this intersection, the relationship between rural fires and tourism remains understudied, and there is a lack of effective strategies to help the sector adapt to this threat.

The PYROTuR project – Effects of wildfires on tourism: co-producing data and knowledge to design climate-resilient tourist destinations – aims to address this challenge by exploring the connection between rural fires, tourism, and climate change. The research is based on data from Portugal, but the findings will be applicable to other international contexts. The project is structured around three main areas:

1. Threat assessment – Studying the present and future risk of rural fires for tourism by analyzing environmental hazards, the exposure of infrastructure and tourists to risk, and future vulnerability scenarios.
2. Impact on the tourism system – Examining how fires affect tourism activities and destination demand by combining studies on past fires with real-time monitoring of future events. To support this effort, a network of tourism businesses will be created to provide data directly to the project, in partnership with Turismo de Portugal.
3. Solutions for mitigation and adaptation – Collaborating with tourism and territorial stakeholders to develop strategies that reduce the impact of fires and enhance the resilience of tourist regions. This phase includes the creation of a Living Lab in Geopark Estrela, where innovative approaches will be tested to serve as a reference for other destinations.

PYROTuR stands out for its innovative approach, bringing together a multidisciplinary team of physical geographers, human geographers, and tourism specialists. The project’s methodology integrates different approaches, including quantitative and spatial analysis of environmental and tourism performance data, predictive modeling, in-depth qualitative interviews, and participatory methods.

Beyond its scientific impact, the project aims to contribute to public policies and society as a whole. It is supported by Turismo de Portugal, the Directorate-General for Territory, and the Geopark Estrela Association. To ensure that results reach non-academic audiences, it will include a strong communication component, featuring infographics, videos, and a publicly accessible data dashboard.