The relationship between climate change and sustainable development goals (SDGs) has gained significant interest in rural- and protected tourism areas, where the environmental integrity and local community are closely related. A global surge of publications has explored these nexuses. Although biodiversity conservation and climate change resilience dominate research in environmental sciences, there is a notable gap in the literature on rural tourism and protected areas from a Southern African context. The limited attention to tourism research in this domain requires an investigation into the role of tourism in achieving the SDGs in Southern Africa. This collection explores studies related to the impact of climate change on tourism, with a focus on challenges for local communities and economic opportunities in protected areas. It was found that climate-induced events, such as cyclones, droughts, sea level rise, and flooding, negatively impact tourism-dependent livelihoods and ecosystems, resulting in the call for the redesign of policy frameworks and community-based strategies that support climate change resilience in vulnerable regions. Informed by the key messages, practical implications, recommendations, and limitations from this collection, a Southern African Climate Change Mitigation Framework to foster Tourism Resilience and Inclusivity is proposed.