How does summer extreme weather affect regional variations in tourism demand?

Intensifying extreme summer weather under ongoing climate change is exposing tourism to growing vulnerabilities across regions. While prior research has noted these impacts, regional dynamics in tourism demand remain underexplored. This study examines the spatial dynamic effects of extreme summer weather on tourism demand across districts in the Republic of Korea, where a pronounced summer season and surrounding coastlines increase exposure to climatic stressors. Using national datasets from 2022 to 2024, we model links between summer weather indicators (e.g., heatwave and heavy rainfall days) and both domestic and international tourist flows. Results show that extreme weather drives significant spatial variations in tourism demand. Certain regions, such as Buyeo and Gongju during heatwaves, and Gapyeong and Yangpyeong during heavy rainfall, show the largest declines in visitation, whereas others (e.g., Hoengseong and Hongcheon during heatwaves, and Danyang and Yeongwol during heavy rainfall) exhibit relatively large increases. These patterns also reveal clear differences between domestic and international tourism demand. These findings demonstrate how climate extremes reshape summer tourism patterns and emphasize the need for localized policy responses tailored to regional and visitor-specific conditions.