The Influence of Weather on Interest in a “Sun, Sea, and Sand” Tourist Destination: The Case of Majorca

Abstract

Abstract Last-minute decisions to take vacations overseas have become popular in recent years. Because of the reduction of the time between the booking and the trip (lead time), and because climate conditions are acknowledged to be key factors in tourism decisions, this study aims to investigate whether weather anomalies are becoming a new key determinant in tourism destination interest. Using data from Google Trends, different time series models are estimated analyzing whether potential tourists’ interest in Majorca, a popular Mediterranean “sun, sea, and sand” destination, is determined by previous and contemporaneous weather conditions both at the destination and in two main tourist countries of origin, Germany and the United Kingdom. Results show how favorable weather conditions at the destination but also adverse weather conditions at the origin are significantly related to a higher interest in Majorca.