Tourists' Climate Perceptions

A survey of preferences and sensitivities in North Carolina's Outer Banks

Abstract

Tourism is a major economic driver for North Carolina with $17.1 billion in travel expenditures, $4.2 billion in payroll, and employing 198,900 residents. Despite its fundamental influence on tourism, there is limited understanding of the relationship of climate and weather patterns with day-to-day business operations or long-term economic and environmental sustainability. We present a Climate-Tourism Index to measure and evaluate climate as a resource for tourism businesses in North Carolina. The relative importance of four climate variables is considered, along with differences in the perceptions of local and non-local beachgoers. Cloud cover appears to be more critical to a satisfying experience than temperature. Locals tend to be more sensitive to wind conditions than non-locals, which may be explained by past experiences and a greater appreciation of the local geography.