Climate and meteorological information to tourists. Exploring the Spanish case

Abstract

The importance of the weather and climate for the planning of tourist destinations and the overall travel experience highlights the significance of climate and meteorological information for the trouble-free development of these activities. Providing information at different temporal and spatial resolutions that satisfies different users and their varying needs can be essential to ensure the success and sustainability of tourist destinations. This article examines the characteristics and shortcomings of the climate and meteorological information provided to tourists in the Spanish case. In doing so, we analyse the portals of the main public and private climate and meteorological information services and the portals promoting Spain’s tourist destinations at both the national and regional levels. The results indicate that the climate and meteorological information provided to tourists, while fulfilling the requirements of availability, reliability and credibility established by the WMO, fail to fully satisfy utility requirements as it does not always adapt to the needs of the tourist consumer.