A critical examination of the tourism climate index landscape

Abstract Tourism climate indices have become valuable tools for using raw meteorological data in quantifying and classifying the climatic suitability of a destination for tourism, and to determine the seasonality of optimal conditions to maximise the tourist experience. The initial Tourism Climate Index (TCI) was developed and applied globally in the mid-1980s, gaining renewed interest from the 2000s, when researchers began applying this index to individual countries, and later developed a range of adapted and specialised indices. These use a more diverse range of meteorological data inputs, and are designed for diverse tourism activities, including leisure, skiing, and camping, and for specific destinations, with research expanding from the Global North to the Global South. However, the comprehensive landscape of these indices and their potential evolution remains unexplored. This has implications for how tourism climate indices will be used in the future and how results are evaluated and conveyed. We critically analyse existing literature, focusing on where and how tourism climate indices have been used, including their pre-assessment, assumptions, and validation. Furthermore, we offer practical insights into their use for forecasting future climate resources in tourism.