Travel industry: Heatwaves don't stop Danes from heading south

In Spain, one heat record after another is being broken for May.

Also read: Over 40 degrees: Spain hit by record heat ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/vejret/over-40-grader-spanien-ramt-af-rekordvarme )

Last year, it was Greece that was affected, as violent forest fires ravaged the landscape, and several towns had to be evacuated.

Climate change has left its mark on some of the Danes' favorite holiday destinations over the past few years.

Also read: Five-year forecast looks at risk for heat records, drought, extreme rain, and forest fires ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/viden/klima/femaarsprognosen-lyder-paa-risiko-varmerekorder-toerke-ekstrem-regn-og )

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TUI Ticket Sales

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Sales figures for popular destinations this year (compared to sales figures at the same time last year):

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Cyprus +7 percent

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Gran Canaria (which is usually a popular winter destination) +14 percent

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France +46 percent

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Crete +14 percent

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Zakynthos +30 percent

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Portugal +14 percent

Source: TUI

However, the severe weather events are not deterring Danes from packing their suitcases and heading south to enjoy their vacation.

At least not if one looks at the figures from travel agency TUI.

They report increases in sales figures for both Cyprus, Gran Canaria, France, Crete, Zakynthos, and Portugal.

Even in Spain, where there is indeed a warning of a severe heatwave over the weekend, sales are more or less the same as last year, according to TUI.

- We are not seeing weather as a factor that fills our customers. They still want to travel abroad, says Mikkel Hansen, communications chief at TUI.

He tells of a surge in bookings in the past few weeks from travel-hungry Danes.

- Especially the June sales have been booked quite a bit.

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Organization reports 'business as usual'

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Also Rejs, the travel industry's organization, reports that Danes are still turning their vacation sights south.

Here, they have made a round-up of several of their members, and the picture is "business as usual," says branch director at Rejs Jakob Hahn.

- If we look at the numbers, they are roughly at the same level as last year, he says.

Why are we not changing our travel habits, when the weather conditions are as they are?

- It has to be much worse, before we see changes. There have been heatwaves in many years, says Jakob Hahn.

What is decisive for our travel habits?

- It can be the geopolitical destination, which we see now. There is for example a significant drop in travel to the USA.

So it looked in Attica in Greece last year.

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'We look forward to the heat'

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At Copenhagen Airport, you can of course find some of the Danes who have not been deterred by extreme heat, heatwaves, and forest fires.

Among others, pensioner Eli Nielsen, who is going on a combined birthday and honeymoon trip to Rome.

And he actually looks forward to Italy's heat.

- There will be around 30 degrees in Rome, that suits me fine, he says.

Does it sound hot?

- It sounds good.

Neither Steffen and Virginia Larsen have been deterred. They set course for the Greek island of Kos on Friday afternoon.

- We look forward to the heat. I don't think it's so bad in Greece. We take it as it comes.

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