More and more, different voices have been drawing attention to the fact that global warming has already started changing how people travel.
While the idea of a “carbon passport” that would cap one at a certain number of plane trips in a year is often dismissed as dystopian, countries with strong railway networks have been seeing a growing interest in train travel as an alternative to flying.
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National parks such as California’s Joshua Tree, which have always been a place where visitors come to experience some of the most extreme temperatures on the planet, have been warning visitors about coming and especially doing any sort of extreme hiking during the prolonged heat wave observed earlier this summer.
More than one travel company has also reported increasing customer interest in more northern European countries such as Poland, Belgium and Finland instead of Spain and Greece during the peak summer months.
The latter practice of specifically seeking out cooler destinations to escape the heat in one’s hometown has been given the trendy moniker of a “coolcation.” On Google Trends (GOOGL) , the term started gaining online traction at the end of June as several travel influencers began talking about taking or wanting to take such a trip.
What is a coolcation? The summer trip you instinctively knew you needed
“A coolcation is one of the newer post-Covid travel trends: people seeking out cooler-climate vacation spots, especially during the warmer summer months,” Gabe Saglie, a senior editor at travel discount publishing platform Travelzoo recently told the Huffington Post.
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Some countries have already spotted a marketing opportunity in the term and have been encouraging tourists to come cool down with them.
“Coolcation in Norway,” the country’s tourism board writes on its website while also adding that “Norwegian summers are delightfully refreshing. Escape the sweltering sun and intense heat and head north for a refreshing summer holiday.”
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A marketing opportunity? Hotels and entire countries are already sweeping in
“As the trend of ‘coolcationing’ sweeps the globe, discerning travelers are seeking destinations that combine moderate temperatures, natural beauty, and unparalleled luxury,” Helsinki’s Hotel Kämp writes on its website.
But the numbers show that this isn’t just a buzzy term made up to promote something; a poll by luxury travel company Virtuoso found that 82% of those planning a trip this summer were either considering or specifically seeking out destinations with cooler weather.
Virtuoso’s numbers also show a 27% increase in bookings to Scandinavia as well as a 47% increase in bookings to Sweden and 49% increase in bookings to Iceland.
While a trip to Antarctica requires more planning that suddenly deciding you’ve had enough during a heat wave, UK-based arctic expedition company Iglu Cruise says demand for such trips soared by 235% between 2022 and 2023.
“Travelers are still Europe-bound this summer but are foregoing traditional favorites, opting instead for the cooler climes of the north,” Virtuoso writes of its findings. “While traditional favorites like Italy are seeing a 3% rise in bookings compared to last summer — not surprising given its upward trajectory for the past several seasons — it’s Scandinavia that is having a moment with a 27% increase in bookings.
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