The challenges related to climate change, such as heatwaves, wildfires and floods, have been increasingly stressing the need for the travel industry in Europe to adapt. The summer of 2023 recorded the highest temperatures on average since 1940, when weather records began. Extreme temperatures and weather patterns were particularly notable in Mediterranean destinations, like Greece, Southern Italy, Malta, and eastern Spain, yet were not limited to this European region.
Over time, these effects are anticipated to change the patterns of seasonal tourism, shape travellers' decisions on destinations, and possibly diminish the allure of warmer tourism destinations while increasing the attractiveness of cooler regions in the summer.
Under the present partnership with ETC, MMGY TCI Research - a leading DMO-dedicated data-based solution, sought to understand the effects that the topic of climate change had on the reputation of European destinations throughout 2023. Using proprietary social listening techniques, as well as the analysis of written reviews on sustainability, the effects of climate-change-related conversations were studied through their incidence in overall conversations on travel, the polarity of said conversations, the qualitative topics that were frequently mentioned, and the tone with which consumer concerns on climate change were placed.
While predicting future travel planning behaviour in the midst of climate change is not straightforward, it is expected that the seasonal demand for some destinations may change in the long run, as well as the demand for their core offer in terms of activities.
Results indicate that climate change is a highly polarised topic in the context of travel, with the capacity to both dampen and heighten destination reputation at large very quickly. Finally, stories and consumer concerns are more severe when they involve hindrances to travel itineraries, and especially safety concerns.
The challenges related to climate change, such as heatwaves, wildfires and floods, have been increasingly stressing the need for the travel industry in Europe to adapt. The summer of 2023 recorded the highest temperatures on average since 1940, when weather records began. Extreme temperatures and weather patterns were particularly notable in Mediterranean destinations, like Greece, Southern Italy, Malta, and eastern Spain, yet were not limited to this European region.
Over time, these effects are anticipated to change the patterns of seasonal tourism, shape travellers' decisions on destinations, and possibly diminish the allure of warmer tourism destinations while increasing the attractiveness of cooler regions in the summer.
Under the present partnership with ETC, MMGY TCI Research - a leading DMO-dedicated data-based solution, sought to understand the effects that the topic of climate change had on the reputation of European destinations throughout 2023. Using proprietary social listening techniques, as well as the analysis of written reviews on sustainability, the effects of climate-change-related conversations were studied through their incidence in overall conversations on travel, the polarity of said conversations, the qualitative topics that were frequently mentioned, and the tone with which consumer concerns on climate change were placed.
While predicting future travel planning behaviour in the midst of climate change is not straightforward, it is expected that the seasonal demand for some destinations may change in the long run, as well as the demand for their core offer in terms of activities.
Results indicate that climate change is a highly polarised topic in the context of travel, with the capacity to both dampen and heighten destination reputation at large very quickly. Finally, stories and consumer concerns are more severe when they involve hindrances to travel itineraries, and especially safety concerns.
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