The impacts of weather and climate variability on tourism in selected communities in Tanzania

Weather and climate variability create uncertainty for tourism demand and disrupt tourism operations. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between weather and climate variability and residents’ perceptions of tourism operations in the city of Dar es Salaam and neighbouring communities, including Kisarawe, Mkuranga, Vikindu, Kibaha, and Bagamoyo, in Tanzania. A quantitative research approach was employed using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 497 respondents in the identified communities. Analyses of variance were performed on the data to examine statistically significant differences among demographic variables such as gender, age groups, and community attachment. While a number of statistically significant results are observed in aspects of weather and climate variability, this study's findings reveal a broad consensus among respondents on the impacts of weather and climate variability on tourism within their communities. Based on these findings, significant policy and practical implications are drawn mainly to harness efforts towards climate action. The policy and practical implications derived from this study contribute to the call for urgency from policymakers and other stakeholders to address the climate crisis.