According to European Tourism Commission (ETC) data, the number of people planning to travel to the Mediterranean region between June and November this year has decreased by 6% compared to last year amid many countries. Europe is grappling with extreme hot weather.
Experts say that extreme weather conditions are changing the experience of visiting Europe for tourists. The situation of tourists suffering from heatstroke, fainting has occurred in some places. In the Greek city of Athens, which recently recorded a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, authorities were forced to close the ancient city of Acropolis from 12 a.m. to 17 p.m. to protect the health of visitors.
The Italian city government of Rome decided to set up cooling stations, including misting tents, free water ... near attractions to prevent problems arising from the heat.
Spain's tourism industry has also been greatly impacted by the ongoing heat wave. Due to prolonged drought, tourist attractions in Spain are forced to take measures to conserve water. Visitors to Lloret de Mar beach during this time no longer see the freshwater showers in action.
According to expert David Sauri of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), tourists staying at 4-star and 5-star hotels are consuming twice as much water as the average Spaniard. Contributing to 12% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating 2,5 million jobs, tourism is one of the main drivers of this European country's economic growth. The current water scarcity will certainly impact the tourism industry.
A recent survey found that 7,6% of travelers surveyed said that inclement weather is their biggest concern for their European trips. According to travel companies, the hot weather has not led to many trip cancellations. However, if this extreme weather phenomenon persists, the tourism industry will certainly be affected.
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A recent survey found that 7,6% of travelers surveyed said that inclement weather is their biggest concern for their European trips. According to travel companies, the hot weather has not led to many trip cancellations. However, if this extreme weather phenomenon persists, the tourism industry will certainly be affected.
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Data company ForwardKeys said that there has been a change in the travel trends of visitors from the UK. Instead of choosing to go to Southern Europe - which is recording record high temperatures, visitors tend to choose cooler locations in Northern Europe.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about the serious consequences of the heat wave raging in three continents of Asia, Europe and the US. Accordingly, the heat will aggravate existing diseases in each person, especially worrying in the group of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and asthma. This also increases the pressure on the global health system, which has been overwhelmed by the Covid-19 pandemic over the years.
Mr. Robert Vautard, Director of the Pierre-Simon Laplace Climate Research Institute of France, emphasized: The heat waves taking place at the same time in Europe and many other places around the globe show that many extreme weather phenomena occur simultaneously. time rather than a single occurrence; and these phenomena are more and more serious due to one factor is climate change. This further shows the urgency of rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The tourism industry in Europe in particular and globally in general was expected to recover impressively this summer, with travel demand skyrocketing after years of people being restricted from traveling because of the epidemic. But inclement weather is hindering the recovery and growth of the smokeless industry. The rapid occurrence of heat waves in Europe, a continent long known for its mild climate, is an alarm bell about the serious consequences of climate change and urges humanity to act before it. when it's too late.
