*Article* **Estimation of the Spatial Suitability of Winter Tourism Destinations Based on Copula Functions**

**Weiying Cai 1, Hui Di 2 and Xingpeng Liu 2,\***


Received: 4 December 2018; Accepted: 7 January 2019; Published: 10 January 2019

**Abstract:** Climate and weather are important factors that determine winter tourism destinations and snow resources and temperature affect the income of the winter tourism industry. Against the background of climate change, abnormal fluctuations in climate elements bring a series of challenges for winter tourism and cause potential losses to the tourism industry. To effectively assess and plan winter tourism destinations, this study establishes the snow abundance and meteorological suitability indices from snow resource and weather conditions to express winter tourism resources, respectively. The coupling relationship of the two indices was used to analyze the spatial suitability of winter tourism destinations based on the copula function. By case analysis, it was found that the Frank copula one is the best fitting function for winter tourism suitability analysis. The Yushu–Jiutai–Yitong–Dongliao line is the boundary of spatial suitability in the study area. The eastern areas of the boundary have grea<sup>t</sup> potential for winter tourism and could strive to develop ice-snow projects, whereas the western regions are relatively weak. This study has guiding significance for winter tourism destination development and resource spatial layout.

**Keywords:** winter tourism; climate change; snow abundance index; meteorological suitability index; copula function; spatial suitability assessment
