Evaluation of bioclimatic comfort conditions in GAP tourism destination in terms of tourismactivities

Bioclimatic comfort refers to the level of satisfaction that individuals feel regarding the environmental conditions they are in. Since this satisfaction arises from the interaction between the person and the environment, it is entirely a subjective matter. The concept of bioclimatic comfort is a phenomenon that is calculated by evaluating personal factors such as clothing, activity level (metabolism rate), age, height-weight ratio, gender and health, as well as climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, wind and global radiation. The aim of the research is to determine the bioclimatic comfort conditions through the thermal temperature index (Physiological Equivalent Temperature) in the GAP Tourism destination and to reveal the most ideal periods and time zones in terms of tourism. In this study, 10 locations have been selected to calculate bioclimatic comfort conditions. 22-year meteorological data of the selected locations were analyzed with RayMan software and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) values were determined. Using Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) data, hourly PET graphs and PET maps for 10 different locations were created and these graphs and maps were analyzed. The maps used in the study were prepared using ArcGIS 10.5 program (demo), one of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. ArcGIS 10.5 (Demo) program was used to map the spatial distributions of bioclimatic comfort conditions, and the CoKriging method, one of the interpolation techniques, was used in this program. As a result of the research it was observed that during the daytime in the GAP Tourism destination, comfortable and slightly cool conditions prevail in March, Apriland November, while during the nighttime, cool, slightly cool, and comfortable periods are found in June, July, August, and September. These months were identified as the most ideal time periods for tourism activities. In the research area, in May and October, comfortable, slightly cool, and slightly warm conditions were observed between 05.00 and 09.00 and 15.00 and 18.00, and it was concluded that these periods represent the ideal thermal conditions for tourism activities. In the daytime throughout the research area; since extreme heat stress, very hot stress and hot stress conditions are dominant in May (between 09.00 and 15.00), June, July, August and September, and cold stress and very cold stress conditions are observed in December, January and February, there is no ideal time interval for tourism activities in the daytime; however, although mostly cold and very cold stress conditions are observed in the research area in December, January and February, cool and slightly cool thermal conditions are observed in İslahiye, Gaziantep, Birecik, Mardin, Nusaybin locations between 11.00 and 14.00 in December and February, it has been determined that short-term ideal conditions are formed for tourism activities, provided that simple precautions are taken (use of clothes that cover the body). Since cold stress and very cold stress conditions are observed in the nighttime throughout the research area in January, February, March, April, November and December, there is no ideal time interval for tourism activities; However, since cool and slightly cool conditions are observed at night between May and October, it has been determined that suitable conditions are created for tourism activities, provided that simple precautions are taken (use of clothes that cover the body).