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Assessment of thermal bioclimate and tourism climate potential for central Europe—the example of Luxembourg

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Abstract

Tourism destinations often require information about climate to assess their climate potential. This can be performed in terms of mean conditions of relevant climatological parameters. For a user-friendly analysis and visualization of climate data relevant for tourism application in Luxembourg, information is prepared based on the facets of climate in tourism. Information on thermal comfort/stress conditions as well as aesthetical and physical parameters is considered. In the present study, relevant and sensible factors were identified and presented. Therefore, physiologically equivalent temperature, precipitation patterns and the Climate-Tourism/Transfer-Information-Scheme are applied. In addition, extreme events relevant for heat stress are analysed based on existing data sets (i.e. heat waves of 2010). Expected climatic conditions for the future are investigated using the projections of two different regional climate models. The results concerning climate change conditions reveal increasing heat stress and sultriness but decreasing cold stress. This information is the basis for an adequate assessment to provide relevant information for different environmental planning issues as well as for the growing tourism sector of Luxembourg.

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Acknowledgments

This study was carried out in the framework of the SMALL project. We thank the ‘Ministère de la Culture, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche’ of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Meteorological Institute, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Werthmannstr. 10, 79085, Freiburg, Germany

    Andreas Matzarakis & Joscha Rammelberg

  2. Département Environnement et Agro-Biotechnologies, Centre de Recherche Public–Gabriel Lippmann, 41, rue du Brill, 4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg

    Jürgen Junk

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  1. Andreas Matzarakis
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  2. Joscha Rammelberg
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  3. Jürgen Junk
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Correspondence to Jürgen Junk.

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Matzarakis, A., Rammelberg, J. & Junk, J. Assessment of thermal bioclimate and tourism climate potential for central Europe—the example of Luxembourg. Theor Appl Climatol 114, 193–202 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-013-0835-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-013-0835-y

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