This research explores, by means of a questionnaire-based survey, public knowledge and perception as well as the behaviour of young Spanish tourists before, during and after the summer holiday period affected by an episode of extreme heat in 2003. The survey was administered between November and December 2004. The extraordinary heat wave of the summer of 2003 can be seen as an example of a normal episode in terms of the predicted intensity and duration of European summers towards the end of the twenty-first century. It can therefore be used as the laboratory setting for this study. In this context, the use of the climate analogue approach allows us to obtain novel perspectives regarding the future impact that this type of event could have on tourist demand, based on a real experience. Likewise, such an approach allows the strategies of adaptation implemented by the different elements in the tourist system in order to cope with the atmospheric episode to be evaluated. Such strategies could prove useful in reducing vulnerability when faced with similar episodes in the future. The main results indicate that Spanish tourists (young segment market) are flexible in adapting to episodes of extremely high temperatures. Their personal perception of the phenomenon, their behaviour and the adaptation measures implemented to a greater or lesser extent before that time, reduce the vulnerability of the sector when faced with this type of event, at least from the point of view of this young segment of the internal national market. In Spain, the episode of extreme heat of 2003 has led to the implementation or improvement of some adaptive measures after the event, especially in the fields of management, policy and education.

Fungi are some of the most diverse organisms on earth and since prehistoric times have played an important role in human society. In recent years they have become a strategic asset not only in the conservation and management of ecosystems but also as a resource for halting the exodus from rural areas in peripheral Mediterranean regions, such as inland eastern Spain. In view of this important ecological and socioeconomic role, in this paper we present a geographical analysis of edible fungi, paying particular attention to the Spanish case. To this end we carried out a bibliographic review of the climatic factors affecting the fruiting of these fungi and the socioeconomic aspects of their commercial exploitation. We also performed an online search for mycotourism-related activities and explored the statistical data on the cultivation of edible mushrooms and its economic impact. Our main findings include a synthesis of the international research on the effects of climatic variability on the natural production of macrofungi, and an assessment of the economic viability and the social importance of mushrooms in Spain, in particular in relation to the current and future potential of mushroom cultivation and the multifunctional management and use of forests.

Physical activity is an increasingly frequent part of our leisure time. Within this context, hiking is a popular form of tourism which has a positive impact on the quality of life. In spite of the importance of climate conditions for this recreational activity, relatively little research has been done on hiking from the perspective of climate and tourism. With this in mind in this paper we make the first detailed extensive assessment of climate preferences for the practice of hiking tourism in Spain. To this end a review of the theoretical/methodological body of literature on tourism climatology was conducted together with a survey aimed at evaluating the stated climate preferences of hiking tourists. The results are offered within the framework of international research on climate preferences for a range of tourism activities. The comparative analysis of these results with regard to those obtained in previous research highlights various similarities but also certain factors specific to hiking in Spain. Overall, the climate preferences of hiking tourists are similar to those of other segments of the tourism market in terms of the aesthetic and physical aspects of the climate, although they also have certain specific preferences as regards thermal aspects, especially regarding the optimal daily thermal conditions for hiking. The results obtained are useful for assessing the suitability of the climate for the practice of hiking tourism in Spain and for promoting proper management and planning of this leisure activity in tourist destinations, including the development of climate calendars detailing the most suitable times of the year for hiking at these destinations. These issues will be addressed in future research studies.

On the basis of the establishment and analysis of 29 indicators, this article analyses the quality of the climate and meteorological information that is provided to tourists on the websites of the bodies responsible for promoting Spanish tourist destinations at a state and regional level. Official tourism promotion websites are a prominent source of information for tourists, so it is necessary to control the quality levels of the information contained in them. The objective is to detect weaknesses that can be corrected to achieve the improvement of the public service that is offered by these websites. The results indicate that the weather information provided on the institutional websites does not meet the information needs of tourists in the different phases of the travel experience, and as a result contributes little to tactical and strategic decision-making regarding the various activities for tourists, in which the weather or climate are relevant factors. This could make it more difficult for them to interact and integrate with the destination and worsen the quality of their tourist experience.

This paper sets out to analyse the information dedicated to climate change and tourism in the Spanish press in the Mediterranean region of the peninsula during the period 1990-2010. Specifically, it seeks to determine the quantitative evolution of media coverage of climate change and tourism and the importance given to this subject. Adequate media attention in both quantitative and qualitative terms could greatly influence public concern and contribute to the social mobilization that will be needed to negotiate/ resist the phenomenon in a geographical area in which tourism is a major economic and territorial driver and which is particularly vulnerable to climate change. To construct the corpus, we undertook a systematic analysis of newspaper coverage of tourism and climate change in the media selected; and we carried out content analysis of the 1014 units identified. The results indicate that the coverage is outstanding in quantitative terms. However, the importance given to the subject is quite marginal.

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The aim of this study was to explore how university students of Spain perceive climate change and its effects on and relationship to the Spanish tourism sector, and their attitudes towards this issue. This included the identification of the problem, the relative importance it was given compared to other problems, assessment of the potential threat it posed to the tourism sector and appraisal of the contribution made by the tourism sector to climate change. The methodology employed was a survey: 400 individual questionnaires were administered to university students. The exploitation of the information collected is performed by using univariate descriptive procedures. The results indicate a low level of awareness among this young segment of population of the risks associated with climate change, which is seen as representing little threat to the tourism sector and as being distant in time and space. Through our study, we aimed to contribute to filling the void which currently exists as regards to understanding how different segments of population construct their representations of the inter-relationship between climate change and tourism, since such knowledge could help improve the effectiveness of the adaptation and mitigation strategies which are being, or could be designed and implemented in both the public and private tourism sectors.

This paper presents findings relating to the territorial processes underlying the distribution and location of P2P accommodation in rural parts of Catalonia by establishing a system for classifying rural municipalities based on the volume and growth rate of the supply of this tourist accommodation, its share of the total supply of tourist accommodation, the pressure on the local population, and the function of this supply of accommodation in the regional tourism context. According to the findings, there are three distinct types of rural municipality: (a) Rural municipalities where the volume and growth of the supply of this accommodation are striking, these municipalities are located in the coastal hinterland and in high mountain areas, both of which enjoy high levels of tourism. This supply of accommodation plays a key role in the expansion of the areas of influence of well-established tourist destinations, (b) rural municipalities where this supply of accommodation presents an average volume and growth rate, located in inland areas of Catalonia and in high mountain regions with non-mass tourism development models specializing in rural tourism. This supply is helping boost tourism by expanding and diversifying the range of accommodation, and (c) rural municipalities where no tourist accommodation was available before the arrival of P2P accommodation. These are municipalities in inland areas with a strong agricultural presence, where P2P accommodation is paving the way for tourism.