Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Microclimate Adaptation in Coastal Tourism: Evidence from Indonesia

Outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) has become a crucial topic, particularly due to global warming and growing public interest in outdoor tourism. This study evaluated OTC conditions at Lampuuk Beach, Aceh Besar Regency, Indonesia, using field measurements of climate parameters and a visitor thermal perception survey conducted over three days in May 2023. A total of 288 respondents participated, while air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation were simultaneously recorded. The findings indicated that most visitors experienced moderate-to-severe heat stress, with thermal sensation ratings predominantly ranging from warm to hot. Nevertheless, more than 50% of respondents considered the conditions acceptable or comfortable, suggesting relatively high thermal adaptation to tropical outdoor environments. Among the evaluated parameters, air temperature was the dominant factor influencing thermal comfort indices. Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) showed a stronger correlation with thermal sensation and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) than Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), indicating its suitability for assessing outdoor thermal comfort in tropical coastal environments. The findings highlight the thermal tolerance of people living in warm-humid climates and provide useful insights for improving outdoor thermal comfort in tourism areas under rising temperatures.