Holidays Looking for Cooler Temperatures: ‘Cooling’ Is Coming

BarcelonaWho would have told them, the famous and frequent Swedes who revolutionized the beaches of the Spanish state in the 1960s, that after almost 70 years the world had changed so much that they would become the hosts in their own countries (they said Swedish(But they were northerners from northern Europe) from the hordes of tourists who were escaping in the summer months from the heat of those paradisiacal beaches that they invaded in bikinis. Although the occupancy of hotels on the coasts of our country does not slow down and tourism is outperforming year after year, more and more people decide to dedicate the summer months to sheltering from the cold of climate change instead of stopping, spending hours in temperate climates in summer, such as those offered by the Nordic countries. There, the data points in the same direction, because for example, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark continue to position themselves as attractive destinations for Catalan tourists and also for those who travel in an organized way. According to data from the global operator Kensington Tours published by Wall Street JournalTravel bookings to Norway between June and August were up 37% compared to the previous year, a figure that puts the Baltic country in the top ten European destinations. Likewise, this growth is also occurring in countries in its orbit, such as Sweden and Finland, and in destinations that are cooler than the southern regions, such as the English city of Southampton, the Austrian city of Innsbruck, and the Czech Republic. All of them have in common the fact that they offer milder and more bearable summers than the Mediterranean, where (if you travel there, in summer) you are more likely to experience heatwaves, sticky days, and extremely high temperatures, even with tropical nights.

clear direction

The director of the Barcelona-based travel agency La Hora Inspiradora, Maria Sanz, confirms that this trend is very evident for obvious reasons: “The last summer in the Mediterranean was very hot and the heat, in the end, prevents you from enjoying 100% of your holidays,” he says. Likewise, Sanz adds that many tourists tend to choose typical summer destinations to visit in the winter and spring months, while during the warmer months they choose to visit other places in the north, such as Norway, which is considered “very trendy.” Although this country is “the most,” its neighbors and Iceland are also in vogue for their combination of temperature and nature, as well as Scotland, which is in high demand this year. He points out that “these countries do not have the tourist infrastructure that Spain or Italy can have,” which gives them a greater advantage, although their disadvantage is that they are much more expensive destinations than the Mediterranean ones. This portfolio also includes Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Poland, as well as the Swiss and Austrian Alpine cities, traditionally the latter high-profile destinations: “People now like to shorten their holidays even though they have to spend more money, rather than being out for the whole of August,” he stresses. As he describes it, sun and beach tourism has a more beachy and relaxed character, but even for this customer profile, these more trendy destinations now offer a completely different holiday, “more on the road” and in terms of stunning nature. “The concept of relaxation is not the same as before the holidays, but rather the concept of adventure, discovery, connection with nature, the environment, the culture of the country and the gastronomy,” he emphasizes.

Atlantic sector

Sanz also points out that northern Spain has grown a lot in recent years due to rising Mediterranean temperatures and climate change, a new paradigm that means temperatures in the north are not as cold as they were a few years ago. In fact, according to Eurostat data, bookings via the main online travel platforms have increased significantly in the northeastern peninsula up to the third quarter of 2023, with a staggering 67.7% increase compared to the same period in 2019. In this context are Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria, where temperatures are more moderate.

For her, everything started to change from 2022, which was a very warm year with “very intense” heat, and when travelers in the years immediately before the coronavirus stayed in closer destinations. In this way, the progress began in 2022, was reinforced in 2023 and goes even further this year: “I have seen it a lot this year,” he explains.

In his opinion, this change in trend does not mean that destinations with traditionally good weather, such as Barcelona or Athens, are losing their visitors, but that, little by little, they are moving there at other times of the year when they are more likely to visit. “On the contrary, for tourists from northern Europe, these destinations have become long-term destinations, for autumn, winter and spring,” he points out, so he expects a different and longer seasonality. The strength of tourism is not in doubt, because according to the latest data available from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the state received 9.3 million international tourists in May, an increase of 11.5% over the same month in 2023. In the first months of 2024 the number of tourists increased by more than 13%, and in thisCatalonia remained the main destination with 22% of the total, followed by the Balearic Islands and Andalusia. Likewise, according to the Turespaña report on summer 2024 trends for the main sending markets, the state is once again positioned as one of the preferred destinations for international tourism. The Minister of Industry and Tourism, former mayor Jordi Herrio, celebrated that after an exceptional winter season, “which is not a low season”, it is expected to complete a second half of the year that is equal to and even exceeds the second half of 2023. Tourism, there are years.