In light of the current climate crisis, people are reorienting their travel destinations away from traditional summer season travel destinations to new options with more friendly temperatures to avoid being “prisoners of air conditioning” in hotel rooms.
Greece was forced to close the Acropolis during the hottest moments of the day. Photo Archive
The orientation towards more moderate climates is not a surprise, believes Radu Puiu, XTB Romania analyst. Most of the popular Mediterranean holiday locations, from Rhodes to Gran Canaria, have experienced bushfires during the 2023 peak travel season, and temperatures continue to reach record levels year on year.
Higher temperatures than in the pre-industrial era
June marked the 13th consecutive month of record temperatures for the planet, with the global average 1.52°C higher than pre-industrial levels. For example, Greece was forced to close its famous tourist attraction, the Acropolis, during the hottest times of the day to protect tourists from the unbearable heat.
However, demand for travel to Europe remains at high levels. The latest European Tourism Commission (ETC) report, “Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel – Wave 19“, indicates a notable increase in interest in travel among Europeans for the period June – November 2024, marking an increase of 6% compared to last year. Thus, the proportion of respondents planning a trip has reached 75%. The increase is determined in particular of the high desire to travel among Spaniards, Italians and the British.In the three countries, eight out of ten respondents reported an intention to travel during this period.
The study also shows that 36% of Europeans plan to take a trip in the coming months, an increase of 6% compared to the previous year. Another 33% will make a second trip. Only 24% of respondents plan to take three or more trips, which may indicate that financial pressures continue to influence travel behavior.
With summer coming, there is still strong demand for southern destinations, with the majority of European travelers (45%) choosing warmer places for their next holidays. Interest in southern Europe is stable compared to 2023, but is down 10% compared to 2022.
Western (18%) and northern (13%) destinations continue to see strong demand. Spain and Italy are the main choices, each preferred by 8% of respondents, followed by France with 7% and Greece with 6%.
Perceived safety of a destination (16%) is the main factor influencing the choice of holiday destination for tourists, followed by favorable weather conditions (13%) and stable temperatures (8%).
Top concerns for travelers in the summer and fall of 2024 include high travel costs (21%, down 3% from last year) and personal finances (16%).
Also, 11% of the people surveyed said they were worried about the Russia-Ukraine war and 10% about the tensions in the Middle East.
People over 55, the most concerned about rising temperatures
Extreme weather conditions and transport disruptions are important concerns for 10% of Europeans looking to travel in the coming months.
Starting this year, the survey looks in detail at the impact of climate events on travelers’ choices. 76% of respondents say they are adjusting their travel habits to climate change. 17% said they would avoid destinations with extreme temperatures, a figure that rises to 32% for over-55s, indicating that older people are most concerned about managing rising temperatures.
Overall, 16% of travelers prefer places with stable weather, 15% monitor weather forecasts and 11% choose activities that do not depend on the weather.
A survey by VisitDenmark of more than 9,000 people in seven European countries found that almost half of them experienced extreme weather during their holidays last year, including heat waves. Two-thirds said they would change their behavior as a result of this situation. This could mean that tourists choose to plan their trips at other times of the year or closer to the departure date, as well as choosing other destinations or even limiting trips abroad, Radu Puiu points out.
Heading to thermally milder destinations has become such a popular trend that it’s even got a name: “coolcationing“, promoted by lifestyle magazines and retailers from all over the world, points out the XTB Romania analyst.
The Nordic countries are gaining ground
Tourists looking to escape the unbearable heat turned to Scandinavia, which added about $124 billion to the regional economy in 2023, about 6 percent more than the previous year. Scandinavia is on the rise, with a 27% increase in bookings compared to last summer.
Research commissioned by the European Union shows that global warming has the potential to create a major change in travel on the continent. In the most alarming scenario, in which global average temperatures would rise by 4 degrees Celsius, Greece could see a drop in tourism demand of more than 7% compared to 2019. In the same context, Sweden, Denmark and Finland would see an increase in demand over 6%.
Even on the northern outskirts, in the far North Atlantic, Iceland is enjoying a 49% increase in bookings this summer, according to Virtuoso. Cruise ships are making more frequent stops on routes between Canada, Greenland and Norway, boosting the local economy. Scotland is also among the favorites for summer 2024, benefiting from a friendlier climate and spectacular scenery.
However, global warming is not entirely beneficial for northern regions. Climate change means that average temperatures are rising everywhere, and this is especially true in the latitudes furthest from the Equator, which are warming the fastest. In addition, global warming does not only mean heat, but also increased risks of natural disasters such as floods and wildfires, explains the financial analyst from XTB Romania.
