Press
During the economic miracle, it was clear that summer would be spent in the south. Today, things are different: a new holiday trend is drawing travelers to Northern Europe.
Munich – The summer of 2023 has shown us that Europe is no longer immune to the fatal effects of climate change. Forest fires raged in many places in the Mediterranean last year, and Greece was particularly affected. On Corfu and Rhodes, for example, the fires caused massive damage: many locals lost their homes and tens of thousands of tourists had to be evacuated in the largest rescue operation in Greek history.
At the end of June (June 24, 2024), a new heat wave hit Greece – and travelers should be cautious right now. This is one of the reasons why more and more tourists in Europe are currently considering alternative holiday destinations. Scandinavia is particularly popular – even in summer. Because then it is pleasantly cool there compared to the rest of Europe. “Coolcation” is the name of the new holiday trend, based on the English word “vacation”. It describes the phenomenon of preferring to spend one’s holiday in the north rather than under the scorching sun of southern Europe.
New holiday trend “Coolcation” offers other benefits in addition to the climate
“Coolcation is not just about the weather,” Susanne Andersson from the Swedish tourism agency Visit Sweden told Reuters. “It’s about travelling to places that are not only cooler but also less crowded,” she added. Instead of baking on crowded Mediterranean beaches or fanning themselves in line in front of the Acropolis, quite a few holidaymakers prefer to swim in a fjord or breathe fresh mountain air. hefty prices of some Mediterranean holiday resorts.
And a holiday in Northern Europe currently seems to be attracting more and more people, as current data from the tourism industry shows: In Norway, for example, the number of overnight stays by visitors from abroad rose by 22 percent in 2023, the news agency AFPSweden recorded an increase of eleven percent.
And even in the far north of Europe, more and more holidaymakers are now coming. The Finnish city of Rovaniemi in Lapland, not far from the Arctic Circle, even recorded an increase of 29 percent more overnight stays in 2023 than in 2022. “The ‘coolcation’ trend is clearly noticeable here,” said tourism representative Sanna Karkkainen of the AFPThe trend had already started a few years ago, “but with the hot summers in southern and central Europe it has become even more pronounced.”
Summers in Central and Southern Europe are too hot: more and more tourists are travelling to the north
That’s why many of them are thinking about avoiding the summer high season and heading to cooler seasons. Others, however, are even looking at alternative travel destinations. In addition to the rugged beauty of Norway with its mountain ranges and fjords, the wild forest and lake landscapes of Sweden and Finland have also contributed to making the two countries further hotspots on the coolcation map.
According to a survey conducted by the tourism association VisitSweden in Germany, around a third of those surveyed are considering changing their current travel habits in the future. According to the survey, the main reason for this is concern about the increasing heat in southern Europe.
Temperatures in the south of the Scandinavian countries, including Norway’s capital Oslo, can reach 25 to 30 degrees Celsius in summer, according to the tourism association Visit Norway The water temperatures in the sea or in the many inland and forest lakes in the south of the country provide refreshment: they usually reach 18 degrees Celsius or more, making swimming a popular pastime. And from the middle of Norway towards the north it is noticeably cooler anyway.
The new “Coolcation” holiday trend also reveals its downsides
But what do tourists themselves appreciate about holidays in Nordic countries? “Norway has been on our list for a long time because of its green landscapes, mountains, ice,” said Spanish tourist Cati Padílla, explaining her enthusiasm for Norway to the AFP.
And French pensioner Gérard Grollier is no longer drawn to the south: he no longer wants to travel to Spain or Greece. He came to Norway “because climate is much more pleasant,” as he told the AFP explained. In addition, there are many travel destinations in Europe that he himself would no longer go to in summer. The reason: “Because it is much too hot,” emphasised the Norway holidaymaker.
However, the coolcation trend also has its downsides: “Our main concern is that too many people will come at the same time,” says Jan Ove Tryggestad from the small town of Hyllesylt, where a cruise ship with 6,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members has just docked. “This is a small village here. In winter there are around 300 residents. Of course it is something of a culture shock when the residents of an entire small town suddenly come ashore,” says Tryggestad. However, he remains optimistic about the future situation: “But we are adapting.”
Meteorologist: Summer 2024 could also be suitable for “coolcation” in Germany
So how about spending your summer vacation in Germany? There have been some very hot summers in this country, for example in 2003, 2018 and 2019. For the ongoing summer of 2024, meteorologist Claudia Träger from wetter.de has now given a reassuring forecast for all those who like it cool. “This year it is the typical westerly summer, which is cool and wet,” she predicted.
In Germany, the regions around the North Sea and Baltic Sea as well as the higher elevations, such as on the edge of the Alps, also promise cooling off during heatwaves. For all those who want to keep a cool head on their summer vacation, it might be worth considering a trip to one of Bavaria’s many holiday resorts to think. (fh)
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