It’s almost summer and Greece is one of several European countries readying itself for the annual influx of tourists. But beyond the typical hotel and pool cleaning routines, the country is also bracing itself for another arrival – one far more foreboding. Officials announced this week that they are deploying a record 18,000 firefighters, and nearly doubling Greece’s fleet of drones, to tackle the ever-growing threat of wildfires. "It is clear that conditions are going to be particularly difficult," climate crisis and civil protection minister Giannis Kefalogiannis told reporters after nationwide training on Thursday. "We will all go to battle."

Authorities said the threat of climate-driven wildfires was “realistic”, following weeks of drought. March was the hottest on record in Europe, while last month was the second-warmest April ever, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Now, forecasters are predicting June will be hotter than normal for southern Europe... and it hasn’t escaped the notice of British holidaymakers.

Some 80% of travellers polled said they intended to shun traditional European destinations they believe will be too hot to visit within the next five years, according to research by travel insurance company InsureandGo.

Greece (48%), Turkey (45%), and Spain (44%) came out as the countries most at risk of being knocked off the summer holiday list by 2029.

Meanwhile, many holidaymakers are booking holidays in cooler climates across the Nordic and Baltic countries, and even as far afield as Alaska.

The trend for so-called “coolcations” has pushed several countries up many lists of favoured options for summer holidays. The top five destinations coveted by British travellers for their pleasant temperatures in InsureandGo’s survey were Iceland (22%), Canada (21%), Sweden (18%), Ireland (17%) and Finland (16%).

According to Garry Nelson, InsureandGo’s head of corporate affairs, holidaymakers have witnessed first hand the devastating impact of climate change both at home and abroad and this is now impacting their holiday plans.

“Wildfires and flash floods from recent summers are understandably influencing British holidaymakers’ decisions and assessing extreme weather is now a feature of many people’s holiday planning alongside where, when and how to get to their destination,” he told the Express.

"The effects of climate change are increasingly evident during people’s travels, whether it’s extreme heat, flooding, forest fires, or the pollution visible on beaches. Undoubtedly, this is one of the biggest challenges we face in the coming years, and one we are taking extremely seriously."

And InsureandGo is not the only tourism operator to note the trend. Intrepid Travel recently reported a 50% increase in bookings to Iceland, Estonia and Scandinavia for trips between July and August this year by UK customers. Bookings to southern Europe over the same period are down by 15%.

"The days of the summer holiday to hot spots like Spain seem like they might be numbered," said company CEO James Thornton. He believes that seasoned, older travellers, plus first-time jetsetters aged 18 to 35, are driving the trend. “The growth is very much coming from baby boomers [and Gen X] in their 50s and 60s,” he said of the former. “So, kids have left home, the mortgage is paid off, they have more free time to go out and see the world and are perhaps less affected by cost-of-living pressures.”

Aside from their lower temperatures, colder destinations in Nordic countries are becoming more and more attractive to travellers because of their commitment to sustainability.

“We know from our own research that when it comes to people’s holidays, most are willing to make changes,” said Garry Nelson. “In fact, three quarters of people now say they are more open to considering a green holiday than they were 10 years ago, with the vast majority prepared to take small steps to minimise their environmental impact.”