Cati Padilla is one of the increasing number of tourists who are fleeing heat waves for colder vacations in the Nordic region, far from her home in the popular tourist destination of Tenerife.
Northern European nations like Sweden and Norway are currently advertising “coolcations” to draw tourists to their mild weather.
In summer, why leave the Canaries? Padilla stated, “To escape the heat,” while on vacation with her pals.
The fifty-year-old civil worker continued, “We were drawn to Norway long ago by its verdant scenery, towering mountains, and glacial expanses.” The “troll path” is a winding mountain path that leads to the fjords.
Official statistics show that foreign overnight stays increased by 22% in Norway and 11% in Sweden in 2023, primarily due to the removal of Covid-related limitations in 2022 and a decline in the value of Scandinavian currencies.
But according to a survey conducted in Germany for the travel agency Visit Sweden, two out of every five respondents said they would alter their travel schedules to avoid the heat in southern Europe and instead choose to go to colder locations or at different times of year.
According to Visit Sweden’s Susanne Andersson, “coolcation is not just about the weather.” “It’s about travelling to places where it’s a little bit cooler both in the weather but also cooler in the sense of not that many people.”
For some, the days of packed Mediterranean beaches, heat waves that set forest fires, and the June partial closure of the Greek capital’s Acropolis are long gone.
In contemporary times, a lot of people would rather go for a swim in a lake or fjord, or breathe in clean mountain air while hiking in relative solitude.
Summer of death
Pam, a British visitor, anticipated chilly weather as she stepped off a cruise ship at the stunning Geiranger Fjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Despite packing woollen garments and a jacket, she was wearing sandals and a t-shirt when she arrived.
The citizen of Lichfield City, in west central England, said, “It’s been wonderful.” “It’s still not that hot that you can’t walk.”
“I simply find it uninteresting to read a book while lounging on a sunbed, get up, go get something to eat, and then return to the sunbed. I would much rather travel, learn about the past, and simply take in the scenery.”
According to UN climate experts, the length of heatwaves and the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events have “almost certainly” grown since 1950 and will continue to do so as a result of global warming.
Half of Europe’s population may experience high or very high risk heat stress by 2050, and heat-related mortality may double or triple in response to increases in summertime temperatures of 1.5 to 3 degrees Celsius (34.7 to 44.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
“Spain is not acceptable. Greece is not an option, declared French retiree Gerard Grollier, 74, as he got off a coach in the village of Geiranger in western Norway.
Why not Norway? “It’s a lot more pleasant out here,” his financial adviser daughter Virginie said. “We have not protected our planet, and now that is impacting tourism.”
Villages submerged
Rovaniemi, the capital of northern Finland’s Lapland region, saw a 29% increase in overnight visitors last year.
Sanna Karkkainen, who works to promote tourism in Rovaniemi, said, “You can feel the ‘coolcation’ here. The trend started years ago but has increased with the hot summers in southern and central Europe.”
There are drawbacks to the cool-down trend, such as an increase in Airbnb rentals and rowdy visitors.
“Having too many people at the same time is our main concern,” stressed Jan Ove Tryggestad, a former mayor of a Norwegian municipality where a cruise ship docked with 6,000 guests and 2,000 crew members.
This is a tiny community. There are about two hundred to three hundred winter residents in Hellesylt. “Obviously, when a small town by European standards suddenly appears, it can be a bit of a culture shock,” he continued. “But we adapt.”
