On July 22, 2023, tourists are evacuated after a massive wildfire breaks out across the Greek island of Rhodes.
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Recently, a series of intense and long-lasting heatwaves sent temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Greece, eastern Spain, and southern Italy’s Sardinia and Sicily islands.
Data from the Brussels-based non-profit European Travel Council earlier this month showed that the number of travelers planning trips between June and November this year fell by 4% compared to 2022, but still It remained at a high level of 69%.
According to ETC, the most popular destination is Spain, with 8% of respondents planning a holiday there in the coming months. The southern European countries were closely followed by France (7%), Italy (7%), Greece (5%) and Croatia (5%).
However, the popularity of Mediterranean holiday destinations has fallen by 10% compared to last year, when Europe experienced its hottest summer on record.
Meanwhile, ETC has seen a surge in popularity for vacation spots such as the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ireland and Denmark, with its findings showing travelers looking for less crowded destinations or pursuing cooler climates. He said this was due to.
The industry group also said many people planning to travel in the coming months are looking for more affordable experiences or are considering off-season travel to stretch their budgets.
Nearly a quarter of ETC survey respondents said they were concerned about rising overall travel costs, and 8% cited the possibility of extreme weather.
Emergency workers have been battling devastating wildfires over the past week in Greece, one of the Mediterranean’s most popular holiday destinations.
A massive fire broke out on the Greek island of Rhodes on Sunday, forcing an unprecedented evacuation of around 19,000 people, while wildfires also broke out on the islands of Evia and Corfu.
The impact has left many holidaymakers in limbo, with the BBC reporting on Monday that people forced to leave hotels over the weekend have since been sleeping in airports, sports halls, conference centers and on the streets. .
Tourists wait at the airport during evacuation due to wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 23, 2023.
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Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysics and climate hazards at University College London, tweeted: “Situations like this are increasingly being encountered when holidaying in southern Europe during the summer.” said.
“And every time you fly on holiday, you make global warming even worse,” he added.
Scientists say the extreme weather events raging around the world have reinforced the urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible. .
The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization says it also confirms why “we must step up our efforts to help societies adapt to what is unfortunately becoming the new normal.”
The decline in popularity of Mediterranean countries as holiday hotspots may coincide with a new trend of vacationers seeking new destinations with cooler temperatures.
In Estonia, for example, average summer temperatures tend to hover around 20 degrees Celsius, with spot measurements rarely exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.
In Estonia, average summer temperatures in the Baltic states tend to hover around 20 degrees Celsius, and the mercury rarely rises above 30 degrees Celsius.
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However, further marketing campaigns touting Estonia’s cold climate are unlikely.
“Obviously, from a tourism marketing point of view, this is a bit difficult,” Reiner Arvik, head of tourism at Enterprise Estonia, told public broadcaster ERR on July 18.
“Overall, we are selling the Nordic experience and the fact that we have an abundance of nature and fresh air. However, being located at the opposite end of the warmer countries will benefit Estonia in the long run. It’s unlikely that it will,” Arvik said.
