Tourists and attitudes to air-conditioning in the tropics

Abstract

A survey of tourists visiting Cairns in northern Australia showed significant dissatisfaction with the indoor climate conditions provided. The rationale for a year-round fully controlled environment is questioned when, in the hot and humid weather of the tropical summer, almost half of the surveyed tourists did not perceive these conditions to justify the use of air-conditioners. Responses in the survey suggest that tourists' needs in this respect are markedly different from those perceived to exist by tourist resort developers and operators.