British tourists are ditching the once popular holiday hotspots of Greece and Turkey this summer due to the risks posed by wildfires and heatwaves. Industry experts revealed that travellers are instead opting for getaways at the tail end of the season and into autumn to avoid the soaring temperatures. September to November, known as the shoulder season, has emerged as a more popular period.
Dimitris Manikis, European head of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, told the Financial Times: “Travelling in the shoulder season is more popular than before . . . we see more flights and more airlines.” Wyndham has now increased its availability in Greece from April to October to February to November due to concerns over extreme termperatures in the peak season. The European Travel Commission discovered that around 9% of European tourists have changed when they travel because of extreme weather events caused by climate change. This is an increase on the 8.5% last year.
In response, Tui, Europe’s largest tour operator, started offering holidays to Turkey’s Antalya year-round, as well as to other southern Mediterranean destinations.
It will also fly to Crete until mid-November this year, a month later than last year’s cut-off point of October.
EasyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis added that the shoulder season is an even better option for those with “flexible ways of working” who aren’t tied down to holidaying during the peak summer months.
He said: “Travelling in the shoulder [season] is becoming appealing, the weather is decent … And I think if people have more flexible ways of working then shoulder periods can become more attractive.”
This comes shortly after Turkey saw record-breaking temperatures of 50.5C in the south-eastern city of Silopi.
Dozens of wildfires raged across the country due to the hotter-than-normal summer, strong winds, and dry conditions.
In central Greece, temperatures reached 42.4C at the end of July, also sparking wildfires. There were five major blazes in the Peloponnese area to the west of Athens, and the islands of Evia, Kythira, and Crete.
The Foreign Office advised Brits to inform emergency services if they see a wildfire in either country, and follow the guidelines of local authorities.