Two thirds of Britons alter holiday plans to avoid extreme heat

Increasing numbers of heatwaves in the UK and overseas are prompting British holidaymakers to change their travel plans, as they seek out cooler destinations or avoid summer peak periods.

 

New research from InsureandGo found about a third (34%) of British adults said they will continue holidaying abroad during the peak summer period – and will take steps to be prepared for hot weather – but most respondents are considering changes to their holiday plans.

 

The survey of 2,000 adults revealed that one in four respondents (25%) are still planning a summer getaway but will seek out cooler countries. This course of action is most popular among Londoners (29%) and the 35-44 age group (35%).

 

More than a third of respondents (36%) are looking to shift their main holiday dates by a month or two to spring or autumn – so families with children are making fuller use of Easter and half-term holidays.

 

Scotland was the region where holidaymakers (45%) were most likely to holiday at a cooler time of year – as were the over-55s (48%), the age group that is less likely to be governed by school holiday timings.

 

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The poll found 6% of respondents say they are now more likely to take a winter break instead. The people most likely to consider a winter holiday were those who have not been abroad on holiday for several years (15%).

 

The research was carried out amid growing public concern over extreme heat and wildfires during the summer months.

 

This summer, 76% of adults think one or more popular holiday destinations will be too hot to visit within the next five years – an increase on 70% in 2022, according the survey.

 

Spain remains the country most commonly seen as becoming too hot for a summer break in the years ahead (40%), followed by Greece (39%), Turkey (36%), Cyprus (30%) and Italy (22%).

 

Furthermore, recent UK heatwaves mean that one in 10 people believe even the UK could be too hot for staycations within the next five years, “suggesting extreme heat could pose a significant risk to the domestic tourism industry”, said InsureandGo.

 

Countries such as Iceland (22%), Canada (21%) and Sweden (18%) are climbing the list of preferred destinations for cooler summer holidays, along with Ireland (17%) and Finland (16%).

 

Garry Nelson, head of corporate Affairs at InsureandGo, said: “People aren’t just chasing the sun anymore – they’re thinking about how to cope with it.

 

“For some, that means skipping July and August altogether. For others, it means ditching southern Europe in favour of cooler destinations.

 

“Even the unthinkable is on the cards, as some staycationers become overseas holidaymakers to escape the summer heat in the UK – a country that is not really geared to cope comfortably with extreme heat.”

 

The research was carried out by Walr Research among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults in June.