Seasonality of Tourism in Wales: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This paper examines the seasonal pattern for different types of domestic tourism demand in the UK during 1994–2000. The focus is on Wales, a region with a particularly pronounced tourism seasonality. The characteristics of the Welsh seasonal pattern are identified and compared with other UK regions, notably Scotland. An overview of various different methods for quantifying these seasonal variations is presented. Various scalar measures are used to evaluate the inequality of the distribution of tourism trips within a year. The stability of seasonal patterns between the years is also examined and more complex methodologies, such as Seasonal Decomposition, are applied in order to assess in detail the differences in the seasonal behaviour of demand among the UK home nations. On the basis of the analysis, policy implications for tackling the seasonality problem are discussed.