ИСТИНА

Outdoor tourism and recreational activities highly depend on the meteorological conditions. In this study, we assess the suitability of weather conditions for various forms of outdoor activities and recreation in the Russian part of the Caucasus. We also discuss how the geographic location of a weather station determines the time frame of weather suitability for various outdoor activities and recreation. 11 weather stations of the Roshydromet (http://meteo.ru/) that represent different tourist regions of the Caucasus (seaside, foothills, and mountains) were selected to analyze the suitability of weather conditions for various types of outdoor recreation. For these purposes, daily data on air temperature, relative humidity, total cloud cover, and wind speed were obtained from each weather station for the period of 2000–2020, along with the daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, and snow cover depth. A Weather Suitability Index (WSI) was used to evaluate climate suitability for tourism and open-air recreation. The WSI evaluates weather conditions in terms of particular forms of recreation: sun bathing (WSI_SB), air bathing (WSI_AB), mild physical activity (e.g., walking, light plays, shopping; WSI_MR), intensive physical activity (e.g., football, biking, climbing, jogging, etc.; WSI_AR), and ski tourism (WSI_ST). An adaptation problem arises when arriving at a resort since most tourists come to the resorts of the North Caucasus from other regions of Russia, the climatic conditions of Russia are very diverse, and the "home” conditions can be very different from those experienced at a place of stay. An Adaptation Strain Index (ASI) was used to assess the level of adaptation that occurs during rapid movement from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Yekaterinburg, and Irkutsk to the Caucasus region at different seasons. As usual, the high tourist season in the study region is observed in the summer months. The results of the study show that passive forms of recreation (sun and air bathing) are preferable from June to September at the locations represented by stations on the coast. For active types of recreation, the Caucasus region is suitable throughout almost the whole year. Moreover, in the mid-seasons, less adaptation is required when moving to the place of stay. This fact offers great opportunities for developing various forms of tourism in the region and not only in the summer months.