by Like many Parisians, Mathilde Martin used to escape to the south of France at the height of summer. But three years ago, a blistering heat wave made her reconsider trips to the region where she grew up and where her parents live.
“There has been a big change in rising temperatures,” said the 51-year-old teacher, after an experience a few summers ago: “We were near Perpignan during the summer and we suffered great heat. That week was anything but pleasant. It felt hard to breathe at times. My parents, who live in Nice, have told me several times with concern that it hasn’t rained in months.”
Since then, she chooses to take the train somewhere cooler during the peak of summer – this year she will walk along the south coast of England – and instead head south in the spring or autumn. “It’s not so hot, and the sea is still warm sometimes. Last year, my parents were having lunch in the garden until December. The area is suffering from climate change and drought.”
As scorching heat waves intensify and the frequency of wildfires increases, Martin is one of many European travelers who have changed the way they plan their holidays. Three out of four (76%) European travelers are adapting their behavior to the climate crisis, according to a new survey by the European Travel Commission (ETC) shared exclusively with the Guardian.
As a sign that extreme weather is affecting the minds of travelers and industry professionals, the ETC this year began polling respondents on how the climate emergency affects their travel arrangements.
A third (33.7%) of Europeans said they avoided destinations where extreme events were likely, the ETC poll found, and 17.3% said they did this by avoiding places with extreme temperatures. Just over 16% sought holiday destinations with more stable weather conditions. Almost one in 10 (8.5%) said they were changing the months they travel, and one in 10 travelers said they were worried about extreme weather.
But alongside these hints at the start of a transition, the ETC report, which polled people from Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Poland and from Austria, that July and August are still the biggest. popular months for travel between May and October, while the warmer destinations – Italy, Spain, France and Greece – all remained top destinations.
Among UK travelers it appeared that holidays during the “shoulder season” – the months either side of the traditional high season of July and August – were best. The latest data available from ABTA – the Travel Association, the trade association for UK tour operators and travel agents, suggests October, May and June are the busiest months. demand for breaks abroad now.
Some travel companies are also reporting increased interest in cooler destinations. Laura Greenman, managing director of Magnetic North Travel, a tour operator specializing in holidays to colder periods, said inquiries for family holidays from UK and Irish customers had doubled for summer 2024 compared to last year . There was also an increase among couples. “Almost all of these clients talk about the reason for choosing Scandinavia as being cooler than other European countries in the summer,” said Greenman.
Also reflecting this trend, small group tour operator Intrepid Travel reported a 40% increase in bookings to Scandinavian destinations compared to last year among UK customers, said Hazel McGuire, the company’s UK and Ireland general manager. . Meanwhile, dangerously high temperatures, since last year, mean the company is no longer running hiking tours in Spain, Turkey and Portugal during July and August.
Stephen Brown, 38, was among those swapping the sparkling sea of the Mediterranean for rugged northern landscapes. In recent years, Brown, a software engineer in London, has returned to the Scottish Highlands – a decision reinforced by the fact that the capital, as well as southern Europe, has suffered from heat waves in recent years.
“I get a lot of heat here – we live in a top floor flat which gets really hot. I feel scared for sitting in my underwear that 40C day two summers ago. I could feel the heat when I breathed. My escape is being able to go north,” said Brown, adding that the ability to travel without flying was also a key factor. “As well as being compatible with climate concerns, this has helped me get my foot out of being active outdoors.”
In addition to hiking, kayaking and biking, Brown often visits areas with local nature restoration initiatives. “Seeing work being done to re-wet overgrazed and ungrazed landscapes is great and makes me positive about the future.”
This summer, as well as going to the area around Loch Lomond, Brown will be traveling to Norway for the first time for a week of “hiking and kayaking through the fjords”.
Eduardo Santander, CEO of the European Travel Commission, said stable weather was essential for travel and tourism. “We recently started surveying European travelers on how they adapt their plans in response to changing weather patterns. Our findings show that travelers are more aware of extreme weather events and the impact they may have on their holiday.
However, these concerns are usually short-lived. Post-summer travelers may be concerned but these questions are often addressed when booking their first summer holiday.
“Looking ahead, we consider that seasonal tourism flows in Europe may be affected by changing weather patterns. Cooler destinations may be popular in the summer, while southern European travelers may opt more for visits in the spring and autumn, avoiding the peak months.”
Related: As ‘shoulder season’ became a popular new time for tourists
Although Luka Goyarrola’s home Mallorca is considered a summer getaway, he will head to Sweden for a month in mid-August. Heat waves have intensified on the Balearic island, but that’s not the only reason Goyarrala and his girlfriend decided to spend time elsewhere. Local people are paying the price for over-tourism, according to the 36-year-old artist and teacher: “I’m happy and lucky to bring it home, [but] it is becoming an elite destination. The island is now a theme park.”
The couple plan to stay in Stockholm for a month, after Goyarrola’s girlfriend arranged a house exchange with a colleague in Sweden. The destination was less important than the chance to have a break: “Anywhere else that was a bit cooler and less busy would work.”
“Maybe 10 years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of it – the summer here was great. It used to be easy to stand the heat – you went straight into the sea. But now I don’t even think about going to the beach,” said Goyarrala.
