Climate potential for different kinds of tourism in Croatia

During their activities, tourists are affected by atmospheric conditions and therefore weather and climate constitute one of the most important natural resource for recreation tourism. In Croatia beach tourism is one of the most important economic sectors, but due to its geographical diversity, Croatia also has the potential for a variety of other kinds of tourism. The climate potential for tourism is estimated by means of climate index for tourism. The climate index for tourism (CIT) integrates thermal, aesthetic and physical facets of atmospheric environment and therefore it is suitable for estimation of climate satisfaction that ranges from very poor to very good. The thermal component is estimated using the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), taking into account the work activity and clothing in calculation of PET. The paper analyzes the suitability of the climate conditions in Croatia for different types of tourist activities: cultural tourism, beach tourism, cycling, hiking, football, golf, sailing and motor-boating. Climate potential is estimated for regions with different climate in Croatia in the period 1981-2010.