A Field Study of the Function of Climatic Parameters in Tourism and the Validation of Bioclimatic Indices (Case Study: Gandoman Lagoon)

Climate is considered as one of the most important factors affect the tourism industry. The present study is a field study that aims to investigate the role of climate in tourism and validate the performance of bioclimatic indices. This research has been carried out in Gondman lagoon area in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province on the Nowruz holiday of 1396. The field data are collected through a questionnaire with axial topics including thermal sensation, thermal preference, aesthetics, adaptive behavior, and individual characteristics. Another part of the data is climate parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, cloudiness and wind, which is measured at the same time as completing the questionnaire by the lutron-lm-9000 data logger calibrated to CE standard. Bioclimatic indices (Predicted mean vote and Physiological Equivalent Temperature) are used to measure the thermal comfort conditions. Besides, Pearson correlation and multiple regression model are used to analyze the data. The results show that there is no significant correlation between the actual data obtained from the questionnaire and the data estimates by the indicators. Biochemical indicators show more warming conditions, while actual data often indicate a feeling of thermal cooling. In contrast, the thermal sensation of individuals reveals a significant and meaningful impact on independent climate parameters, the highest for clouds (R = -0.82) and humidity (R = -0.88). In other words, the visual conditions of the environment have a significant role in the type of person's sense of warmth. Due to the negative of these coefficients, cloudy sky with high humidity has significantly affected the type of heat feeling stated in the questionnaires. The use of bioclimatic indices in the evaluation of thermal comfort conditions requires the validation of these indicators and, if necessary, corrected.
Extended Abstract
1-Introduction
Climatology in general investigates the wind, precipitation and other atmospheric elements in a region and in the specialized mode, the details of the relationship between atmospheric elements changes with special activities such as health, agriculture, transportation, architecture, maritime tourism, tourism, and so on. Awareness of climate comfort in human life and its everyday activities can play an important role. In terms of comfort conditions, a set of conditions is suitable for at least 80% of the people in terms of heat. By changing any of the aforesaid elements, the comfort condition is lost, and another element must be changed to compensate it. For example, if the temperature rises, the coating can be lowered, or it can achieve to a new comfort point by increasing air flow. The whole set of these points of comfort is called the Comfort Area, which is a very important debate in biology, climatology, health, tourism climatology, urban climatology, and architectural climates. Many of the bioclimatic indicators have been developed in laboratory or by selection of sample groups in different parts of the world (especially in the first world countries), and in many cases they can be used in a region of the world, such as our country. It is necessary to provide the results that are far from reality. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and validate the use of this indicator in different parts of the country. In this way, the best measure can be a survey of people about their feelings of heat.
2-Materials and Methods
The present study was carried out based on field studies and data from a questionnaire. The completed questionnaire consists of 12 questions that are designed to fulfill the research objectives. In this questionnaire, the issues such as: thermal sensation, thermal preference, climate aesthetics, behavioral and comparative mechanisms along with individual and physiological characteristics are investigated. As each questionnaire is completed, the quantity of weather parameters (temperature, humidity, cloudiness and wind) is also recorded by the data logger. The Study period in this study was 13 days of the Nowruz holiday of 2017, and a total 167 people participated in the project and completed the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as correlation, multiple regression and t-test were used to analyze the information and data of the questionnaire. The bioclimatic indicators (in this study, PMV and PET), which are calculated using weather parameters and individual characteristics, in fact, indicate the conditions of the heat sensation of individuals, and the estimated values for these indicators The actual responses of individuals about their heat feelings were compared and evaluated to validate the level of ability and accuracy of the indicators in the research area.
3-Results and Discussion
The results of the statistical surveys showed that there is no significant and significant correlation between the actual data obtained from the questionnaire and the estimated values by the indicators. The correlation coefficient between the output of the indicators and the considerations of the questionnaire for the PMV index, R= 0.278 and for the PET index, was R = 0.270, while these correlations were not statistically significant for both indices. Bioclimatic Indicators showed more warming conditions, while the actual data often showed a sense of heat-sensitivity. Investigating the relationship between the data related to weather parameters (temperature, humidity, cloudiness and wind), independent and heat sensation of individuals, showed significant results. Regarding negative coefficients, it seems that cloudy sky with high humidity has been significantly effective in the type of heat feeling stated in the questionnaires.
4-Conclusion
Bioclimatic indicators show higher heating conditions, while the actual data often indicate a cooling sensation. On the other hand, the relationship between the data on climate parameters (temperature, humidity, cloudiness and wind), independent and heat sensation of individuals, showed more acceptable results. So that, the presence of cloudy conditions and high humidity along with increasing wind speed has caused the feeling of cooling in people. However, temperature changes alone have not been decisive in this regard. It seems that in the range of the year (April to March) in the study area, more than the temperature changes that control the person's thermal feelings, this change the humidity parameters are cloudy or decisive. The use of various biochemistry indices in many researches, regardless of the environmental and physiological differences that may have outcomes from the reality, is a prerequisite for the application of this indicator to be evaluated and verified in different geographical regions.