An Analysis of Tourism Pleasant Climate of Zanjan Province Using TCI Index and GIS Technique

Currently, the tourism industry is an important source of income, employment opportunity, and infrastructure improvement in order to achieve a sustainable development. The climate in an area and its effects on forming tourism are highly crucial. Familiarity with climatic limitations and threats and latent potentials in the climate features is effective for designing various national, province and civil plans including tourism. Since knowing climate features can provide an important field for tourism planning, the researchers of the present study used climate tourism TCI and climate data of four synoptic stations of Zanjan province to evaluate climate tourism conditions and climatic attractions of Zanjan province. Thus, the researchers first extracted seven monthly climate parameters from province synoptic stations of the province in a 14- year period. After gathering the required data, data bases were established and their processes were accomplished via TCI index. Then using GIS software in interpolation, and generalizing point data into extended ones and mixing the maps, appropriate time for tourist attraction was determined. The results of the research indicated that February, May, June, January, August, September and October were accounted as an excellent and ideal condition for tourists’ attraction to the province. Regarding temperature reduction and high pressure of atmosphere in November, December, January, March and April, these months were not considered suitable time for tourists` attraction to the area.