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Quantifying the climatic suitability for tourism in Namibia using the Tourism Climate Index (TCI)

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Abstract

Tourism Climate Indices (TCIs) are the most widely used method to quantify climate suitability for tourism, yet remain more extensively applied in the Global North. Here we apply the TCI to Namibia, a country heavily economically reliant on outdoor tourism. Rising temperatures and changes in relative humidity and precipitation pose threats to nature-based and adventure tourism in Namibia. The mean annual TCI scores for the period 2008–2018 vary from classifications of ‘good’ for Etosha Safari at 62 to ‘excellent’ for Windhoek at 80. Monthly scores reveal a bimodal-shoulder and winter peak, indicating that the most suitable climatic conditions for tourism occur during the austral spring, autumn and winter months. This is consistent with the literature regarding peak tourist seasons, and fortuitously aligns with school holidays. The spatial and seasonal quantification of climate resources in Namibia derived from the TCI results can inform sustainable planning for tourism and other economic sectors sensitive to climate.

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Aus Vista and Swakopmund over the study period 2008–2018

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  1. School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Kirsten Noome & Jennifer M. Fitchett

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  1. Kirsten Noome
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Noome, K., Fitchett, J.M. Quantifying the climatic suitability for tourism in Namibia using the Tourism Climate Index (TCI). Environ Dev Sustain 24, 5094–5111 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01651-2

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