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Tourism climatology for camping: a case study of two Ontario parks (Canada)

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Abstract

Climate and weather act as central motivators for the travel decisions of tourists. Due to their seasonality, these factors determine the availability and quality of certain outdoor recreational activities. Park visitation in Ontario, Canada, has been identified as a weather sensitive tourism and recreation activity. This study used a survey-based approach to identify and compare stated weather preferences and thresholds, as well as weather-related decision-making for campers at two provincial parks in Ontario, Canada. The two parks were selected for differing physical and environmental characteristics (forested lake versus coastal beach). Statistically significant differences were detected between the two parks in relation to the importance of weather and weather-based decision-making. Specific temperatures that were considered ideal and thresholds that were too cool and too warm were identified for both parks, both during the day and the night. Heavy rain and strong winds were the most influential factors in weather-related decision-making and on-site behavioural adaptations. Beach campers placed greater importance on the absence of rain and the presence of comfortable temperatures compared to forest campers. In addition, beach campers were more likely to leave the park early due to incremental weather changes. The results of this study suggest that beach campers are more sensitive to weather than forest campers.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the very helpful guidance of Dr. Paul Eagles from the University of Waterloo as this research was conducted in partial fulfilment of a Master of Environmental Studies in Tourism Policy and Planning, for which, Dr. Eagles served as committee member. We would like to thank Dr. Bryan Smale for lending his expertise in relation to quantitative research analysis. Our gratitude also goes out to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for allowing this research to be conducted in Ontario Parks. Special thanks to by Dr. Will Wistowsky of Parks and Protected Spaces Policy Section, Policy Division at the Ministry of Natural Resources. We would also like to thank Ontario parks and the former superintendent at Grundy Lake Provincial Park, Mr. Jim Peck in particular, for his assistance during the recruitment and collection process. Finally, this research would not have been possible without the enthusiastic and accommodating campers from within the two study parks who willingly participated in this study and agreed to complete this survey during their personal vacation time.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Toronto, 100 St. George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada

    Micah J. Hewer

  2. Waterloo Research Chair in Sustainable Tourism & Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3), Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1

    Daniel Scott

  3. Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada

    William A. Gough

Authors
  1. Micah J. Hewer
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  2. Daniel Scott
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  3. William A. Gough
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Correspondence to Micah J. Hewer.

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Hewer, M.J., Scott, D. & Gough, W.A. Tourism climatology for camping: a case study of two Ontario parks (Canada). Theor Appl Climatol 121, 401–411 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1228-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1228-6

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