Forest Microclimate Ameliorates Climate Comfort: A Case Study of Seasonal Dynamics and Tourism Implications in a Subtropical Region of China

Assessing forest climate comfort is essential for the sustainable development of forest tourism, as it offers a scientific basis for site management and visitor experience enhancement. This study investigated the seasonal role of forests in improving tourism climate comfort in a subtropical region of China. A comparative analysis of climate comfort between forest interior and exterior was performed using five indices and meteorological data from 1971 to 2014. Results showed minimal differences in comfort levels between the forest interior and exterior for most of the year. Due to variations in evaluation indicators, the number of days with higher comfort levels inside the forest compared to outside ranged from 74 to 147 days annually, mainly concentrated in summer and winter, typically showing a one-level improvement. For the number of annual comfortable days, the forest interior exhibited notably more days classified as “comfortable” and “moderately comfortable” than the exterior, exceeding the latter by 1 to 32 days and 2 to 69 days, respectively. Due to the forest microclimate, the climate comfort inside the forest was significantly improved compared to outside. These findings demonstrate the microclimate benefits of forests and offer a scientific basis for tourism planning and management.