Scorching temperatures aren't keeping us home
IAN STALKER
Some like it hot… or at least aren’t bothered enough by very hot weather in some parts of the world to shun those areas.
Travel industry personnel say they haven’t yet noticed any signs that the extreme heat that has gripped much of the planet in recent weeks is curtailing international travel, although tour operator s contacted by Travel Courier suggest that shoulder seasons will look more attractive to travellers considering countries contending with scorching temperatures in recent weeks.
“We’ve seen an increase in bookings to destinations like Greece, Italy and Spain during the shoulder seasons in recent years – a trend we anticipate will continue to grow as travellers look to avoid the increasingly hot summers. In response, Intrepid has been increasing its shoulder season capacity in part due to this demand and in an effort to combat the negative impact of over-tourism,” says Tom Smith, vice president, sales and marketing, North America for Intrepid Travel.
“Earlier this year we reviewed more than 900 of our itineraries between January 2022 and April 2023 and found that 76 tours – or roughly one a week – had been disrupted in some way due to extreme weather events like floods and wildfires. Intrepid hasn’t had to cancel any tours this summer but our network of local operations teams on the ground in Europe are closely monitoring the situation, allowing us to make immediate adjustments to itineraries and ensure the safety of travellers. Activities in certain areas were moved to different times of the day to better manage the heat and our leaders are continuing to do everything they can to make accommodations.”
Extreme heat is frequently linked to climate change and Smith says his company has been at the vanguard of travel industry efforts to help offset rising temperatures.
“The reality is that climate change is here, it’s happening. As the world’s largest travel B Corp, Intrepid has been working on sustainability for nearly 20 years and the extreme heat waves are the latest climate disaster to highlight the urgency of taking major steps towards a more sustainable way to travel,” Smith continues. “Intrepid is committed to taking action to reduce the environmental impacts of travel and limit global warming to 1.5C in the next decade. This includes always looking for ways to change our itineraries to work towards our climate goals, such as removing short-haul flights from trips where a suitable alternative exists and using e-vehicles where we can.”
Renata Snidr of NARAT also reports that that tour operator is coping with the unusually hot weather some countries are experiencing.
“The fluctuations in weather conditions, including extreme heatwaves, that we have observed in recent times in my opinion would not have a significant impact on sales for NARAT, if at all,” Snidr states.”Though it is imperative in general to manage environmental or climatic issues wrought on by humanity, the increase in global tourism, including from Canadians, is expected to compensate for any adverse effects on sales numbers resulting from the climatic changes experienced. Locations such as Amsterdam, Venice, Santorini, and Dubrovnik are presently seeing to reduce tourism numbers due to over-tourism. From a stewardship point, NARAT operates smaller groups with smaller eco-footprints, and work with sustainable tourism business when possible.”
Snidr says that tourist destinations will put in place measures to compensate for temperature increases and allow for continued outdoor public activities, such as sightseeing. “These measures in fact are already being seen in some popular European locations,” she adds. “For example, I was on business travelling to Spain last year when the country had record high temperatures and the most wildfire damage in Europe. The heat was sweltering in southern regions, right up to Gibraltar. Tourism however was still visible, with holidaymakers in the country, despite the heat conditions. Some of the municipalities and private businesses had implemented water sprays in spaces that cooled public and tourists in key areas allowing for heat management, including shaded patio seating (a pivotal dining experience for Spain). Travel will always be in demand and is enculturated in us. Our resilient industry will no doubt adapt to the circumstances and continue.”
Goway founder Bruce Hodge agrees that many travellers might view shoulder seasons as increasingly attractive if extremely hot summer weather persists.
But Goway Europe summer bookings remain strong, he adds.
“So far we have not seen any hold back from travellers ,particularly to Europe, which continues to book at a very good pace,” Hodge adds. “Logically in future years, travellers will opt to travel to cooler places or for affected destinations, in the spring/fall months.”
Meanwhile, Ontario travel agent Sheila Aue says heat waves aren’t keeping her clients home.
“I haven’t had clients shy away from the heatwave situation,” says Aue, with Trevello Travel Group. “It hasn’t deterred their decision too much. If clients are still wanting to travel to these destinations, I would advise them of the conditions and provide suggestions on how best to handle the heat. Wear light clothing, possibly purchase a personal portable fan. Plan activities early in the morning or late in the day. Keep hydrated and monitor their outdoor time. Basically, the extreme heat isn’t keeping people from travelling.”
