Measuring the Effect of Weather on Tourism: A Destination- and Activity-Based Analysis

Limited research has focused on the impacts of weather on tourist arrivals and participation in activities. This research uses Westland, New Zealand, as a case study to analyze the impact of weather on intra-annual seasonality and inter-annual variation in visitor nights. Further, a scenic flight operation and a visitor center in the township of Franz Josef serve as case studies to quantify the impact of weather parameters on the number of flights and visitation. The results show that seasonality in Westland is largely driven by temperature; however, variability in visitor nights across years does not seem to be influenced by weather conditions. Both the scenic flight operation and visitation to the visitor center are measurably impacted on by daily weather. This research provides information for destination managers in Westland on weather-related impacts on tourism, and potential changes in the future under the scenario of warming temperatures and increasing precipitation.