Too hot to visit?

Three in four British holidaymakers (76%) think some European holiday hotspots will be too hot to visit within the next five years, as climate change and extreme weather threatens to change tomorrow's tourism map of Europe.

For consecutive summers, sizzling heat waves have sent temperatures soaring in southern and central Europe, with temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius - with melting pavements and forest fires becoming the summer norm in some places.

The new InsureandGo study (20^th May 2025) asked a representative sample of 2,000 adults to reflect on their past holiday experiences and future holiday choices, based on the extreme weather they had experienced first-hand over the last few summers. For summer  2025, 76% of Brits named one or more European countries that they thought would be too hot to visit in five years' time - and this is a rise on 71% who cited extreme weather concerns the summer before (2023).

The European countries that people thought would be too hot to visit for a summer holiday by 2029 comprised of: Spain (40%), Greece (39%), Turkey (36%), Cyprus (30%) and Italy (24%).

Concern about the impact of soaring temperatures was a universal issue. Across all age-groups, British adults are getting more worried about the impact of rising temperatures during the summer holiday months.

First-hand holiday experiences of the impact of climate change:

In addition to people's concern over rising temperatures, the majority of UK holidaymakers say they have, in recent years, experienced the effects of climate change first-hand when overseas on holiday. This trend is also on the rise - up from 78% in summer 2022 to 86% this year.

Hotter temperatures, poor air quality, and plastic waste or litter on beaches have been most commonly experienced first-hand on holiday,  the new research indicates there are year-on-year rises across the board.

 Effects of climate change people are most likely to have experienced on holiday

Longer term, there is evidence that some people may even re-think when and where they have their main family holiday. Nationally,

• 36% said they will be more likely to holiday in the spring or autumn when it is a bit cooler
• 34% said they will stick with summer but will take steps to be prepared for hot weather
• 25% said they stick with summer but will likely look for options on cooler countries

Rising sea levels are another consequence of climate change - 71% of people fear one or more holiday hotspots could be under water in years to come.

Thinking about the climate emergency and its impact on rising water levels, which holiday destinations do you fear will be under water by 2050?

• Venice, Italy - 45%
• The Maldives - 23%
• Florida Keys, USA- 16%
• Amsterdam, Holland - 14%
• New Orleans, USA - 11%
• Seychelles -11%
• The Bahamas - 10%

Garry Nelson Head of Corporate Affairs at InsureandGo commented: "When schools break up, most people are pushing forward with their much-needed summer holidays. This summer looks set to be another busy year at the usual southern Mediterranean hotspots. But there are clear signs that things could be about to change longer-term. Thousands of people have experienced extreme weather during their summer breaks in recent years and it's becoming clear that this is becoming an annual occurrence. Already some people are beginning to consider future holidays at a different time of year and others are considering destinations with cooler climates.  At InsureandGo, we want to help people go abroad without the doubt. We would encourage people to do their destination research before they fly off and also to check what their travel insurance covers in terms of cancellation and medical cover for those with pre-existing conditions."