Tourists’ reviews of weather in five Indian Ocean islands

Abstract

Favourable climate forms a key resource in attracting tourists to tropical coastal destinations. Warm temperatures and clear skies are ideal conditions for tourists to spend long days on the beach and engage in outdoor activities. By contrast, rain, strong winds, high humidity and cloud cover serve as a deterrent. These factors influence tourists’ choice of destination, timing and duration of stay, and enjoyment of their vacation, and are therefore imperative to the economic sustainability of a destination. This study explores tourists’ self-reported sensitivity to and satisfaction of weather and climatic conditions during visits to five tropical Indian Ocean Islands through the analysis of 13 618 TripAdvisor reviews. An average of 12 per cent of reviews mentioned climatic factors, indicating a relatively high sensitivity to climate, with a highest proportion of 15.7 per cent of reviews for Maldives. Rain was mentioned most frequently (21 per cent of climate mentions), followed by sunshine and hot conditions. The majority of the reviews were authored in August and May, and more than 40 per cent were written in a neutral tone, with similar but lower proportions of overtly negative and positive reviews. Thematic analysis of reviews highlight the importance of preparedness amongst tourists, emphasizing the need for accurate information communicated.