More people will be interested in Sweden this year, which could be the start of the “Scandinavian summer” travel trend.
Martin Wallborg | E+ | Getty Images
Is it extreme heat or a new normal?
Some travelers aren’t waiting to find out whether this year’s heatwave in southern Europe is an anomaly or part of a long-term pattern caused by climate change.
Tom Merchant, co-founder of London-based luxury travel company Black Tomato, told CNBC that his company is already seeing a shift in interest from travelers looking to escape the summer heat.
“We’re seeing strong interest and desire to take advantage of the Scandinavian summer,” he said. “Scandinavian destinations such as Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland are seeing significant sales growth.”
Interest in Mediterranean travel fell by 10% between June and November this year, according to data released by the European Travel Council. The summer of 2022 was the hottest on record in Europe.
Meanwhile, citing its own data, Merchant said summer bookings to Scandinavia were up 37% year over year.
“And we expect this trend to continue to rise,” he said.
The “Scandinavian summer” trend is also evident among summer home renters, according to Expedia Group.
German travelers in particular are shifting their Vrbo holiday searches north, with interest in southern Norway increasing by 35% in the first two weeks of July compared to the same period in June, according to Expedia Group. It is said that he did.
The company’s data also showed increased interest in German holiday homes in the southern Swedish counties of Skene and Blekinge.
Elsewhere, holiday home searches from across Europe saw a notable increase in the following regions:
Edinburgh, Scotland — +20% Riga, Latvia — +25% Tallinn, Estonia — +25%
Across Europe, interest in home rentals in the southern Swedish province of Smaland rivaled the popular Spanish island of Tenerife and surpassed the Italian seaside town of Rimini, according to Expedia Group.
Spain was the most popular destination in a survey of more than 6,000 European travelers conducted by the European Travel Council. But Expedia Group says interest in travel is also shifting there.
According to the company’s data, searches for vacation homes in popular destinations such as Costa Blanca, Costa Brava and Mallorca remained steady from June to July, while interest in home rentals rose across Spain’s north coast.
According to the data, housing searches increased in the autonomous communities of the Costa Verde, Costa de Cantabria and the culinary powerhouse known as the Basque Country.
Temperatures have dropped since then, but just last month wildfires in Greece forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate from the islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia, some still in their swimsuits.
Tourists wait at the airport during evacuation due to wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 23, 2023.
Will Vasilopoulos | AFP | Getty Images
The Greek islands are one of Europe’s top summer travel destinations, but Merchant says some people are looking to other islands further north.
“Norway’s Lofoten Islands are especially attractive to family customers as an ideal alternative to the Greek and Croatian islands,” he said, especially “for those who don’t like the intense Mediterranean heat.” Ta.
Some people are reportedly skipping the trip to the island altogether.
“Destinations such as national parks in Canada, the US, and hidden gems in Europe such as Slovenia are also proving to be particularly popular.”
Summer may be synonymous with travel for many, but the threat of heat waves, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes are causing some to postpone their annual trip to another season.
According to Merchant, more and more people are choosing to travel during the shoulder season, when hotel rates are low, rooms are often available, and temperatures are often nice.
“In the heel region of southern Italy, Puglia and Sicily are doing well, but especially in the shoulder season, which is autumn,” he said. “Because of its proximity to North Africa, the weather continues to be warm and sunny well into October, but it’s less crowded and more relaxed.”
Merchant said that as summer temperatures rise in Europe, more people are seeking higher elevations and mountainous locations.
“There is a renewed interest in the Dolomites, such as Lucerne and Solden, and in the Swiss and Austrian Alps,” he said.
According to the European Travel Council, a spring poll of more than 6,000 European travelers found that “comfortable weather conditions” was the number one reason for choosing a destination. Currently, there is a growing interest in traveling to places such as Lucerne in Switzerland in the summer.
Olya Sorodenko | iStock | Getty Images
Even in countries that many travelers find unbearably hot, Merchant says there are cooler places at higher elevations.
“Morocco is a good example,” he said.
Summers in Marrakech can be hot, he said, but the Atlas Mountains can be cool and even refreshing at night. Plus, summer in Morocco is the off-season, so it’s quieter and probably more rewarding, he added.
Travelers who already have travel plans appear to be staying the course.
Cynthia Nerangis, founder of LemonLime Travel, which specializes in travel to Greece, Italy and France, told CNBC Travel that her clients are sticking to their plans to visit Greece this summer (from Athens to the Cyclades to Crete). He said he was doing it.
Omio, the train, bus and flight booking company, has also seen an increase in bookings this year, but cancellations remain low, said Peter Tomlinson, the company’s vice president of data.
“Despite extreme heat, wildfires and ticket price increases, Omio’s ticket cancellation rate in Southern Europe remained at 3%,” Tomlinson told CNBC.
A representative from insurance company InsureMyTrip said they have not seen a noticeable increase in calls or emails from customers asking to change or cancel plans due to the heat. Similarly, another travel company, Squaremas, said it had not received any calls from travelers wishing to cancel or make complaints about trips affected by the heatwave.
