Popular tourist hotspots across Europe are seeing staggering declines in visitor numbers this year, with some areas down as much as 40%. Several areas have seen anti-tourism protests in recent years calling on authorities to curb the numbers of visitors arriving each summer, leading some to believe that tourists are now choosing to stay away as a result.
An industry expert believes that other factors are likely to be underpinning the decline, with heatwaves sweeping across the continent and wildfires in many countries also combining to deter visitors. Dimitris Manikis, European head of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts believes that British tourists are increasingly looking to travel in “shoulder season”, the period between September and November when temperatures are cooler and travel is cheaper. He said: “Travelling in the shoulder season is more popular than before . . . we see more flights and more airlines.”
According to a study conducted in July by the European Travel Commission, 9% of travellers have amended the months they travel due to extreme weather events caused by climate change, up from 8.5% the year before.
Wildfires across Greece, Turkey and the South of France have already seen tourists forced to evacuate so far this year, as extreme weather events become more common each summer.
Elsewhere, extreme temperatures across the Iberian Peninsula have led to authorities issuing health warnings to residents and tourists.
But as Brits continue to cope during a cost of living crisis, taking action to avoid extreme weather could have a positive impact in people’s pockets, with holiday prices around 38% cheaper if switched from August to October.
Dame Irene Hays, chief executive of Hays, a UK travel agent, told the Financial Times: “People will forgo a new sofa, bathroom, kitchen replacement, maybe even a new car but they are passionate about travelling.
“The UK is an island nation so people increasingly want new experiences.”
The message was echoed by EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis, who said that an increase in flexible working has aided peoples’ ability to exploit the savings on offer by travelling outside of the summer months.
He said: “Travelling in the shoulder months 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.”