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Wildfires redraw Europe's tourism map, prompting three key changes
🇸🇪 Sweden /Disasters & Emergencies

Wildfires redraw Europe's tourism map, prompting three key changes

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Extreme heat and wildfires are reshaping Europe's tourism map, shifting peak seasons to spring and autumn and drawing more travelers north.
  • Despite the challenges, southern European destinations are adapting with air conditioning and cooler activities, while tourists increasingly opt for shoulder seasons.
  • Researchers predict a future where charter destinations may shift to northern Germany, Poland, or Scandinavia as climate risks influence travel choices.

Europe's beloved Mediterranean tourist destinations face a significant transformation as wildfires and extreme heat become more common. Tourism researcher Robert Pettersson anticipates a shift in peak seasons, moving towards spring and autumn, with a notable increase in travelers heading north.

Southern European countries will do everything to maintain their position and calm visitors.

— Robert PetterssonRobert Pettersson, operations manager at the tourism research institute Etour, on how southern European countries are responding to climate challenges.

Pettersson outlines three key changes: first, hotels and resorts are enhancing their offerings with air conditioning, shaded areas, and nighttime activities. Second, while southern Europe will remain popular, travelers will increasingly choose May or September over the hottest months of July and August. The third, and perhaps most striking, change is the potential relocation of future charter destinations to regions like northern Germany, Poland, or even Scandinavia.

Paradoxically, despite images of burning skies and evacuations, tourist numbers to southern Europe are still growing. Stefan Gössling, a professor of tourism science, notes that people tend to travel to familiar destinations, and market shifts occur slowly. He also points to a growing global middle class, particularly from Asia, contributing to increased travel to Europe.

Future charter destinations may be found in northern Germany, northern Poland, or even Scandinavia.

— Robert PetterssonRobert Pettersson on the potential shift of popular tourist destinations due to climate change.

Travelers are adapting by choosing historically less exposed areas or booking flexible, cancellable trips. This "weather hedging" behavior involves booking multiple options and deciding based on the latest forecasts. Gössling, who contributed to a UN World Tourism Organization report two decades ago that identified wildfires as a future risk, observes that these incidents are now impacting tourism.

We like to go where we have traveled before, and the shifts in the travel market are quite slow.

— Robert PetterssonRobert Pettersson on why tourist numbers to southern Europe are still growing despite climate issues.

However, cost, travel time, culture, and habit still outweigh climate risks in destination choices. Gössling emphasizes that cost remains the primary driver of travel decisions, with climate concerns being a secondary factor for now. Visit Sweden also notes the growing influence of weather on travel, especially for active holidays that are less beach-dependent.

I don't really see people traveling less because of climate change.

— Stefan GösslingStefan Gössling, professor of tourism science, on the impact of climate change on travel behavior.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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