Destructive fires, scorching temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), and cautious tourists opting to stay home. Will climate change revolutionize tourism, particularly in the Mediterranean region?
The Current Scenario
The regions that attract a significant number of holidaymakers are also the ones being most severely affected by climate change. In Greece, thousands of tourists have been evacuated in recent days from the fire-ravaged islands of Rhodes and Corfu due to extremely hot weather conditions.
Rhodes’ international airport has transformed into an improvised campsite for disoriented tourists.
Other Mediterranean countries have also faced similar challenges.
In Spain, temperatures have soared 15 degrees above the normal levels for summer. Italy has also experienced intense heatwaves, with temperatures reaching 48 Celsius on the island of Sardinia, while Tunis endured 49C on Monday.
Tourism plays a vital role in the economies of these regions, accounting for nearly a quarter of GDP in Greece and 12 percent in Spain.
Economic Implications
The soaring temperatures may discourage visitors from traveling to these destinations.
According to Jean-François Rial, the head of French travel firm Voyageurs du Monde, “global warming will make some destinations less and less attractive. The entire Mediterranean region is affected, and it happens to be the top destination for European travelers.”
In Spain, tourists are beginning to question whether they should spend their summer vacations on the Mediterranean coast, according to Joantxo Llantada, a professor at Madrid’s IE Business School.
Moody’s recent report highlights that “heatwaves may reduce the attractiveness of Southern Europe as a tourist destination in the long run, or at least decrease demand during the summer season, leading to negative economic consequences considering the sector’s significance.”
The End of Sunworshipping?
Not so fast, says Hamit Kuk, the head of the Association of Turkish Travel Operators.
Kuk argues that while this issue is crucial for the tourism industry, extremely hot temperatures in destinations like Antalya are not a problem because European tourists primarily seek sunny weather.
He points to examples like Egypt and Dubai, where temperatures can reach 45C in July-August, yet tourists still choose to visit.
Dora Miled, the president of Tunisia’s hotel federation, affirms that the heat has not had any impact on tourism so far.
“If we haven’t returned to the same level of activity as in 2019, it is primarily due to the high cost of air travel,” Miled explains.
Didier Arino, the head of the Protourisme travel consultancy in France, believes that when it comes to holidays, people dream of good weather, not cool destinations.
Even in Greece, it is uncertain whether the fires will deter tourists from visiting. Kostas Chryssohoides, the vice prefect of Dodecanese, an island group in the southeastern Aegean Sea that includes Rhodes, reports that “24,000 tourists arrived on Rhodes” between Sunday and Monday, despite the fires. Only a few canceled their plans as a precaution.
Exploring Alternatives
If it becomes nearly impossible to visit destinations with extreme temperatures, holidaymakers may shift their focus to other regions, suggests Jean-Francois Rial. He believes that northern European destinations are gaining popularity and mentions Britain and Ireland as potential beneficiaries.
Adapting to Change
Industry professionals agree that tourism will undergo significant transformations. They anticipate an overall increase in visitors to the Mediterranean, particularly during seasons outside of summer, driven by the growing demand from pensioners.
“Currently, we have no concerns about domestic market demand, but if the global climate crisis continues to escalate, we will need to reconsider the summer and winter seasons,” says Kuk.
Rial sees this as an opportunity to alleviate issues of overcrowding by losing some clients during the summer months and gaining more in the other nine months of the year.
According to Protourisme’s Arino, climate change will compel the tourism industry to reimagine cities, resorts, and the range of activities they offer.
© 2023 AFP
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Will climate change hit Mediterranean tourism? (2023, July 26)
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