Travellers believe southern Europe will be ‘too hot’ by 2028

Research by travel insurance provider InsureandGo found that 71 per cent of Brits believe that traditional holiday hotspots on the Mediterranean Sea will be too hot to visit within the next five years.

The company surveyed a sample of 2,077 UK adults about popular destinations they thought would be too hot for holidays by 2028, with 42 per cent saying Turkey, followed by Spain (41 per cent), Greece (39 per cent), Cyprus (35 per cent), and Portugal (29 per cent). Italy (27 per cent), France (13 per cent) – as well as the UK (12 per cent), also made the list.

Northern, central and eastern Europe was perceived as being less likely to experience heatwaves in the future than southern and western Europe. Only six per cent felt that Germany would be too hot to visit in five years, followed by Poland (four per cent), Scandinavia (three per cent) and Switzerland (three per cent).

“With blistering heat waves highlighting the climate emergency, our new research suggests some people may be starting to rethink their holiday destinations for future years, and we could see a move to cooler climates if the acute heat and wildfires become an annual trend around the Med,” said Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at InsureandGo Travel Insurance.

Fellow travel insurer World Nomads recently released a series of recommendations for international travellers visiting southern Europe during the heatwave. The increasingly hot summer weather on the continent could pose health risks in the future – and while most travel insurance policies do not currently allow for reimbursement if a trip is cancelled due to extreme heat, this could change.