Identification of Tourism Climate Regions in West of Iran
Subject Areas : Urban and Regional Planning Studies
1 - Assistant Professor, Dep. of Geography, Chalous Branch, Islamic Azad University, Chalous, Iran
Keywords: GIS, TCI, Climatourism, West of Iran,
Abstract :
Climate information is important for tourists especially before and during the vacation period. In this regard, for evaluation the local and time conditions for tourism climate regions in west of Iran (Lorestan, Kermanshah, Hamedan and Kurdistan provinces) TCI index and climate variables including mean of temperature, mean of max temperature, total of monthly precipitation, mean of relative humidity min, mean of sunshine hours and mean of wind speed (km/h) were used during a 15 year period (1990-2005). After analysis, the results showed that in most stations, May, June, July, September, October, and November month have ideal to good conditions for tourism. Throughout a year, Sarpol-e Zahab station has less favorable tourism conditions than other stations. The TCI coefficients zoning showed that in the cold seasons, i.e., in the entire studied area in December and January months, Lorestan province has not favorable climate for tourism, except a small southern part of this province, which has a good tourism climate in February and March months. In the warm seasons, i.e., in May, the central part of Lorestan province and small sections in the east and south of Kermanshah province and in June, the northern parts of Kurdistan province and south-east of the Lorestan province the ideal conditions dominate, and in September, the northern parts of Kurdistan and Hamedan provinces have the most ideal area compared to other areas, and in October, there is an ideal conditions for tourism only in the central part of Lorestan province.
De Freitas, CR., Scott, D., & McBoyle G. (2008). A second generation climate index for tourism (CIT): Specification and verification. International Journal of Biometeorology, 52, 207-399.
Frajzadeh, M. (2009). Evaluation and zoning of tourism climate in Iran using tourism Index (TCI)). Journal of Natural Geography Research. 17, 31-42. (In Persian)
Hassanvand, A., Soleymani tabar, M., & Yazdanpanah, H. (2011). Spatial explanation of climate comfort of lorestan province based on TCI index. Journal of Planning, 1, 121-144. (In Persian)
Hoppe, P. (1999). The physiological equivalent temperature: A universal index for the biometeorological assessment of the thermal environment. International Journal of Biometeorology, 43, 71-75.
Khajeh, Ch., & Khaledi, A. (2017). A Case study of evaluation and distribution of tourism climate by using TCI: baluchestan region of Iran. Journal of Geology, 7, 1227-1237.
Kovacs, A., Nemeth A., Unger J., & Kantor, N. (2017). Tourism climatic conditions of Hungary–present situation and assessment of future changes. Journal of the Hungarian Meteorological Service, 121(1), 79-99.
Kovacs, A., & Unger, J. (2014). Modification of the tourism climatic index to central European climatic conditions–examples. Journal of the Hungarian Meteorological Service, 118 (2), 147-166.
Kubokawa, H., Inoue, T., & Satoh, M. (2014). Evaluation of the tourism climate index over Japan in a future climate using a statistical downscaling method. Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, 92 (1), 37-54.
Matzarakis, A. (2001). Heat stress in Greece. International Journal of Biometeorology, 41, 34-39.
Mieczkowski, Z. (1985). The tourism climatic index: A method of evaluating world climates for tourism. Canadian Geographer Journal, 29 (3), 220-233.
Mubarak Hassan, E., Varshosaz, K., & Eisakhani, N. (2015). A nalysis and Estimation of Tourism Climatic Index (TCI) and Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) in Dezfoul. 4th International Conference on Environmental, Energy and Biotechnology, 85, (6), 35.
Nielsen, S. L. p., Amelung, B., & Knutti, R. (2010). Future climate resources for tourism in Europe based on the daily tourism climatic index. Climatic Change Journal, 103, 363-381.
Scott, D., McBoyle, G., & Michael, S. (2004). Climate change and the distribution of climatic resources for tourism in North America. Climate Research Journal, 27, 105-117.
Scott, D., Rutty, M., Amelung, B., & Tang, M. (2016). An Inter-Comparison of the Holiday Climate Index (HCI) and the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) in Europe. Atmosphere Journal, 7, 80, 2-17.
_||_De Freitas, CR., Scott, D., & McBoyle G. (2008). A second generation climate index for tourism (CIT): Specification and verification. International Journal of Biometeorology, 52, 207-399.
Frajzadeh, M. (2009). Evaluation and zoning of tourism climate in Iran using tourism Index (TCI)). Journal of Natural Geography Research. 17, 31-42. (In Persian)
Hassanvand, A., Soleymani tabar, M., & Yazdanpanah, H. (2011). Spatial explanation of climate comfort of lorestan province based on TCI index. Journal of Planning, 1, 121-144. (In Persian)
Hoppe, P. (1999). The physiological equivalent temperature: A universal index for the biometeorological assessment of the thermal environment. International Journal of Biometeorology, 43, 71-75.
Khajeh, Ch., & Khaledi, A. (2017). A Case study of evaluation and distribution of tourism climate by using TCI: baluchestan region of Iran. Journal of Geology, 7, 1227-1237.
Kovacs, A., Nemeth A., Unger J., & Kantor, N. (2017). Tourism climatic conditions of Hungary–present situation and assessment of future changes. Journal of the Hungarian Meteorological Service, 121(1), 79-99.
Kovacs, A., & Unger, J. (2014). Modification of the tourism climatic index to central European climatic conditions–examples. Journal of the Hungarian Meteorological Service, 118 (2), 147-166.
Kubokawa, H., Inoue, T., & Satoh, M. (2014). Evaluation of the tourism climate index over Japan in a future climate using a statistical downscaling method. Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, 92 (1), 37-54.
Matzarakis, A. (2001). Heat stress in Greece. International Journal of Biometeorology, 41, 34-39.
Mieczkowski, Z. (1985). The tourism climatic index: A method of evaluating world climates for tourism. Canadian Geographer Journal, 29 (3), 220-233.
Mubarak Hassan, E., Varshosaz, K., & Eisakhani, N. (2015). A nalysis and Estimation of Tourism Climatic Index (TCI) and Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) in Dezfoul. 4th International Conference on Environmental, Energy and Biotechnology, 85, (6), 35.
Nielsen, S. L. p., Amelung, B., & Knutti, R. (2010). Future climate resources for tourism in Europe based on the daily tourism climatic index. Climatic Change Journal, 103, 363-381.
Scott, D., McBoyle, G., & Michael, S. (2004). Climate change and the distribution of climatic resources for tourism in North America. Climate Research Journal, 27, 105-117.
Scott, D., Rutty, M., Amelung, B., & Tang, M. (2016). An Inter-Comparison of the Holiday Climate Index (HCI) and the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) in Europe. Atmosphere Journal, 7, 80, 2-17.