Whether it’s the recent news of storms in Spain, Central Europe, Florida or the Caribbean, or the debilitating heatwaves that scorched Greece and Portugal this summer, one thing is clear – extreme weather is the new norm.
What do we mean by extreme weather? Well, it can include anything from wildfires and high temperatures to flash flooding, and these things are all a direct consequence of human-induced climate change.
This year alone, 370,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed by wildfires, and the summer of 2024 was the hottest ever on record, according to the European Environment Agency, affecting a staggering two million people.
It’s a worrying reality for the state of our planet, our beloved wildlife and our dazzling landscapes, and that’s set to have a knock-on effect (perhaps sooner than anticipated) on the travel industry, too.
The World Travel Market has just released its Global Travel Report, and it reveals that 29 percent of travellers have, over the last year, avoided visiting a destination because of inclement weather, and that’s particularly the case among Gen Z: 43 percent of people aged between 18 and 34 have reconsidered their travel plans.
That’s if they weren’t forced to flee – we reported a few months back that the Greek government was offering free trips in off-peak season to travellers who had to evacuate from their getaways in Rhodes due to wildfires.
Just to put the impact extreme weather is already having into perspective, let’s talk about ‘outdoor days’. The term comes from a study conducted by MIT and refers to days where outdoor activities can be undertaken comfortably. The Global Travel Report pulled out some stats to measure the impact climate change will have by 2100: according to the study, Thailand will lose 55 outdoor days (nearly eight weeks!), but Canada will gain 23.
So, what are we doing about it? Data from Tourism Economics found that only 53 percent of travellers say they’re attempting to minimise the carbon footprint of their travels, but platforms such as Booking.com revealed 74 percent of 2023 travellers wanted more sustainable options to choose from (however, the issue of ‘green-washing’ often leads to feelings of uncertainty among customers).
This is bleak news, we know. However, there are plenty of ways to ensure we do more good than harm to the planet when we’re travelling. Here’s our guide on steps to take to be a more sustainable tourist, plus our feature on why more needs to be done to support ‘conscious travel’.
Did you see that these have been named the best (and worst) countries for nature conservation?
Plus: These are Europe’s most sustainable cities.
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