Most Britons believe Spain, Greece and Turkey will be “too hot” to visit by 2027 as climate change pushes temperatures higher.
Every summer, travelers from the drizzly UK flock to Europe for the sun.
But with mercury rising steadily year on year, that trend could be changing, new research suggests.
According to a UK survey by InsureandGo – a specialist travel insurance provider – climate change is changing people’s holiday expectations.
In a survey of more than 2,000 respondents, 71 percent thought parts of Europe would do so too hot to visit in summer until 2027.
The results are “stunning,” says Chris Rolland, CEO of travel insurance InsureandGo.
“British holidaymakers are really paying attention to what is going on in the world in relation to global warming.
“While the picture may now seem worrying, if we collectively tackle climate change by acting on it, these predictions will not come true Net Zero Goals and reduce our overall consumption.”
Will British tourists continue to visit Europe as temperatures rise?
Spanish tourism could be hit hardest by the rising temperatures. Before the pandemic, more than 15 million UK residents traveled to the country each year. But nearly two-thirds (65 percent) fear it will get too warm by 2027.
Greece — another popular travel destination for Brits — could also lose significant tourism traffic as 59 per cent of people are concerned about the heat.
More than half of those surveyed said they would avoid it Turkey (55 percent) and Cyprus (51 percent) by 2027. Portugal and Italy could also lose potential visitors, with 49 percent and 42 percent respectively claiming the locations were too hot.
But maybe there is no rest at home either. Almost one in five Britons think that the United Kingdom will be too hot by 2027.
Overall, heat concerns increase with age. While 53 percent of 18-34 year olds said Spain will be too hot to visit by 2027, 83 percent of those over 65 said the same.
It’s a trend that’s running through the data – 43 percent of 18-34 year olds said Greece would be too hot in 2027, compared to 77 percent of those aged 65 and over.
Where in Europe are temperatures rising?
Europe just recorded his the hottest summer ever. Across the continent, residents and tourists alike have suffered from unprecedented heat waves and droughts.
It was the second hot summer in a row for Europe, with average temperatures 0.4 degrees Celsius above the previous record set in 2021.
Summer temperatures of over 50°C could become a reality in 2019 Europe.
“The chances of seeing really extreme temperatures every summer are pretty high now,” said Professor Peter Stott, a Met Office meteorologist, after Sicily recorded a reading of 48.8C in 2021.
“We cannot say exactly when it is likely to happen, but Europe needs to prepare for the eventuality of more records being broken, with temperatures above 50.0°C becoming a possibility in Europe in the future, most likely near the Mediterranean Sea , where the influence lies of the hot air from North Africa is strongest.”
man-made global warming is responsible for this changes.
The Earth’s average surface temperature has increased by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era (1850-1900). In Europe, this value is closer to 1.8 °C.
Where will tourists go to escape the heat?
Everywhere will be affected by rising temperatures. However, survey results suggest potential travelers may be drawn to colder climes.
Only four percent of people think that Scandinavia and Switzerland is getting too hot to visit, while five percent say the same about the Netherlands.
“Family summer vacations are certainly not going away,” says Rolland.
“However, our research suggests that this may well be changing in relation to holidaymakers moving to cooler climates – or perhaps Easter and Christmas becoming the school holidays as more families travel abroad for their holidays. I think this research is a real eye-opener that things need to change — and fast.”
Part of the change will be making travel more sustainable – sharing flights to the Trains and avoid extractive tourism.
