As the summer season draws to a close, the potential changes that extreme weather events will bring to travel habits continue to be a topic of discussion among tourism industry stakeholders.
Extreme temperatures this summer fires across much of southern Europe and subsequent floods have set new standards for tourismbecause many argue that areas that have experienced extreme weather will no longer be such attractive destinations.
What becomes obvious, according to the publication ot.gr, is reflected in surveys conducted during this period. The data shows a very high percentage of those who cite extreme weather events as a reason for concern about choosing a holiday destination.
Even before summer arrived, weather events became a cause for concern for those planning their trips. A study by the European Tourism Commission (ETC) found that 7.6% of respondents are concerned and take them into account when choosing a country to travel to.
At the same time, MG Consulting claims that Extreme heat in southern Europe and fires in particular may have contributed to tourists changing their minds about holidays this summer as hotel room occupancy in these countries recorded a decline in growth.
The company reports that In Greece, the average occupancy of hotel units decreased by 1.4%, and in Portugal – by 2.2%. On the contrary, in The Nordic countries have seen significant growth: in the Czech Republic by 12.1%, in Hungary +9.8%, in the UK by 4.5%, in Austria by 3.9% and in the Netherlands by 3.7%.
Executives at Europe’s three largest tour operators are optimistic about the phenomenon, and do not believe destinations hit by extreme weather this summer will suffer from long-term declines in demand.
Speaking at Travel Weekly’s Future of Travel conference, easyJet Holidays chief executive Harry Wilson said he was confident three destinations hit hard by adverse conditions in recent months would be among the most booked destinations in 2024. “I guarantee,” he emphasized, “that next summer the most popular destinations will be Turkey and Greece. Customer attitudes will not change in such a short time.”
Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy said: “People are afraid to go on holiday because of the media’s sometimes over-the-top coverage of weather events. I’m not denying climate change, but we must be careful to prevent all this hysteria around events that happen all the time. It’s like they intimidate people, forcing them not to go on vacation, but to stay at home“.
Tui Northern Region managing director Andrew Flintham said: “It is rare to see a sustained drop in demand for destinations affected by unusual weather conditions. Tourists may avoid a particular destination for a year, but demand tends to rebound very quickly.”
In any case, tourists advocate the need to create sustainable infrastructure to effectively combat these events when they occur.
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