European holidays could be unbearably hot by 2028

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European holidays could be unbearably hot by 2028

August 5, 2023

A survey reveals that the majority of British adults believe that in five years’ time, many holiday hotspots in the Med will be ‘too scorching’ to visit during the summer. Jenny Southan reports

Following a second summer of record-breaking heatwaves and wildfires consuming southern Europe, a survey from InsureandGo Travel Insurance reveals that 71 per cent of adults in the UK believe that popular vacation destinations in the Mediterranean will be too hot to visit by 2028.

Of the most popular European holiday destinations, the top five countries that the 2,077 survey respondents said will become too hot to visit by 2028 were: Turkey (42 per cent of respondents), Spain (41 per cent), Greece (39 per cent), Cyprus (35 per cent) and Portugal (29 per cent). Some other European destinations that were of concern included Italy (27 per cent), France (13 per cent) and the UK (12 per cent).

Relatively few people saw hot temperatures to be a major issue facing Germany (6 per cent), Hungary (6 per cent), Poland (4 per cent), Scandinavia (3 per cent) and Switzerland (3 per cent). (Bloomberg recently reported that "Record Heat in Southern Europe Sends Travelers Heading for the Nordics".)

Those who have changed their lifestyle to live more sustainably were most likely to see these popular destinations as too hot to visit in 2028 (84 per cent). However, even 44 per cent of people who were unaware of climate issues recognised that rising temperatures could make many European countries unsuitable to visit.

At the moment, travel insurance cover is not available for people who choose voluntarily to cancel their holiday due to the fact that there are extreme weather conditions in their destination – and this may well lead to more holidaymakers turning to cooler climates in northern and eastern Europe in the coming years.

Garry Nelson, head of corporate affairs at InsureandGo Travel Insurance, says: “This is now the second year when holidaymakers have experienced extreme weather in southern Europe – and consumers are currently unable to claim on their insurance if they decide to cancel their holiday because of soaring temperatures.

“With blistering heatwaves highlighting the climate emergency, our new research suggests some people may be starting to re-think their holiday destinations for future years and we could see a move to cooler climates if the acute heat and wildfires become an annual trend around the Med.”

 

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