title: Weather sensitivity for zoo visitation in Toronto, Canada: a quantitative analysis of historical data.
abstract: Based on a case study of the Toronto Zoo (Canada), multivariate regression analysis, involving both climatic and social variables, was employed to assess the relationship between daily weather and visitation. Zoo visitation was most sensitive to weather variability during the shoulder season, followed by the off-season and, then, the peak season. Temperature was the most influential weather variable in relation to zoo visitation, followed by precipitation and, then, wind speed. The intensity and direction of the social and climatic variables varied between seasons. Temperatures exceeding 26 °C during the shoulder season and 28 °C during the peak season suggested a behavioural threshold associated with zoo visitation, with conditions becoming too warm for certain segments of the zoo visitor market, causing visitor numbers to decline. Even light amounts of precipitation caused average visitor numbers to decline by nearly 50 %. Increasing wind speeds also demonstrated a negative influence on zoo visitation.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. micah.hewer@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Micah J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hewer
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Gough
mesh_terms: D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D011998:Recreation / Q000266:history*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D000072264:Sports and Recreational Facilities / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014887:Weather
keywords: Behavioural thresholds; Tourism climatology; Urban outdoor tourism; Weather sensitivity; Zoo visitation