Quantification of the Tourism Climate of Algeria Based on the Climate-Tourism-Information-Scheme

Salah Sahabi Abed,Andreas Matzarakis

doi:10.3390/atmos9070250

Abstract

The relevance and role of aesthetic, thermal and physical facets to climatic tourism potential over Algeria at 12.00 UTC (13.00 local time) are analyzed. This role is revealed using the Climate-Tourism-Information-Scheme (CTIS) elaborated for six Algerian cities having indisputable tourism potentiality and representing different regions and climate regimes: Coastline, Highland and Sahara zone. In this paper, the relevance of the use of the 10-day time-scale resolution of the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) derived from the body-atmosphere energy balance as well as the importance of the CTIS at this time-scale resolution is illustrated. The CTIS diagrams produced concern the period 1986–2015 and comprise detailed information on the frequencies of the occurrence of different climatological and human biometeorological parameters throughout the year, which could help tourists to plan ahead their vacations. A significant upward trend in discomfort conditions, as well as a substantial decline in human thermal comfort acceptability, are observed during the period of the study. The obtained results could help enormously in the promotion of tourism and leisure services in the country as a highly promising economic sector in the future and those who are involved, such as tour operators, by diversifying their products through the provision of alternative types of tourism offerings in line with the climate conditions.

Highlights

Most categories of tourism are closely linked to climate [1]
The daily bioclimate conditions based on physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) values calculated at 12.00 UTC for the period from 1986 to 2015 is established for Ghardaia
Few investigations examining the relationship between climate and tourism in Algeria exist

Summary

Introduction

Most categories of tourism are closely linked to climate [1]. Weather and climate have a substantial influence on the tourism sector and are very important for recreation and outdoor activities [2].This influence notably affects the temporal distribution of tourists throughout the year.Yet, as Becken and Wilson [3] note, the interrelation between climate and tourism is insufficiently understood as well as little researched. Most categories of tourism are closely linked to climate [1]. Weather and climate have a substantial influence on the tourism sector and are very important for recreation and outdoor activities [2]. This influence notably affects the temporal distribution of tourists throughout the year. As Becken and Wilson [3] note, the interrelation between climate and tourism is insufficiently understood as well as little researched. Few studies based on a deterministic approach, assessing the effect of climate conditions in Algeria upon human thermal comfort are available [4,5,6]. Few investigations introducing useful information, aiming to help domestic and international tourists to anticipate their choice of the appropriate period to visit their targeted touristic sites and cities in Algeria are provided [7,8,9,10]

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Discussion

Conclusion