European Summer Hot Spots on the Move

Changes in Global Climate Call for Shift in Tourism Patterns

by Chris Rennix

There are so many opportunities for college students these days in regards to travel.  Not only is traveling a popular reward for graduation, but increasing study abroad programs, not only in Europe, but throughout the world, and discount airlines within continents have made countries outside of the United States more easily accessible to students now than ever before.  But no matter how many programs are designed for students to see the world, or how many discount airlines continue to lower their seat prices, one giant force may have a greater effect on student travel: climate change. 

Just the term climate change may not seem like a big deal to students who are planning to travel in the near future, because it is seen as a gradual process, but for younger students, changes in climate could affect where they can study and at what time of the year they can venture off to various locations.  Europe is a prime example.  One of the most popular areas of the continent has to be the Mediterranean, where an astounding 100 million tourists flock to every year, with its high season in the summer.  This is an example of climate affecting tourism at its best.  Tourism and climate are closely linked, as climate is one of the driving forces of demand for summer vacationing in the Mediterranean (Viner, 317).  But according to an article published by D. Viner and his colleague B. Amelung, even the smallest shift in climate (i.e. 1 degree Celsius) could cause a gradual, but large migration of tourists to more northern-based areas of the continent during these hotter, summer months. 

Because tourism is such a huge generator of revenue for many Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Spain and Italy, which are also some of the more popular student spots in Europe, the results of climate change for both the citizens of the country, as well as the students could be devastating (Viner, 319).  The economy of Greece in particular, could take such a huge blow that historical sites such as the Parthenon and other ancient Greek ruins could be shut down due to a lack of funds for further research and restorations.  The Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain are facing the same fate with this minor increase in temperature (Amelung and Viner, 352).

At the same time however, this gradual shift in tourism behavior could also play out as a major benefit to students and the residents within these countries’ borders.  According to a study conducted by D. Maddison, in as little as 20 years, around the year 2030, Spain and Greece could experience a major flattening in tourism trends.  This means that the amount of tourists visiting the country would be spread out through the fall and spring seasons.  This is beneficial for students because these seasons coincide directly with the timing of semesters, reducing the need for summer programs and thus the additional costs of summer tuition.  For the people living permanently in these countries, this spreading of demand through the more temperate seasons provides for a greater ability to manage resources effectively, such as a decreased strain on the water supply (Maddison, 196).

In addition to the spreading of tourism demand throughout the fall and spring of the Mediterranean countries, tourists will also shift their travels to the north during the summer months.  An article published in the London-based newspaper Popular Press, states that while the temperatures rise and tourism sinks during the summer in southern European countries, the northern countries are in place to gain during the summer months.  Tourism in northern countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Scandinavian countries Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway, would boom with the projected climate change during the summer.  Summers in Alps in particular, already have a strong tourist draw, and student backpackers would be able to experience this in a warmer climate by 2030 (Smith, 24).  A problem with this however deals with how a 1 to 2 degree Celsius increase in European temperature provides a huge problem for the ski season in the Alps, as this climate change could decrease the amount of snowfall in the mountains by 30 percent (Burki and Elsasser).

Although it seems as though the benefits and the problems with climate change within Europe might seem to cancel each other out, the shift in tourism is ultimately determined by the behavior of the climate in the next couple decades.  Students who desire to study abroad or travel before entering the job force should pay attention to the trends of tourism, and how they coincide with the ever-changing climate.  When countries are in the peak of their climate seasons, many events and festivals occur that display the country’s identity and culture.  With a shift in the high and low seasons in these countries, would the citizens their be willing to change as well?  As the summer hot spots in Europe shift northward, it opens up a wide variety of smaller, lesser-known countries that still hold a wealth of cultural and historical value, while at the same time help the warmer, more popular countries alleviate the problems with resource management.  Either way, students should make decisions about where and when they travel in upcoming years based on this shift in climate, and realize the positives and negatives of climate change on a larger scale.

Works Cited

Amelung, B. and D. Viner.  “Mediterranean Tourism: Exploring the Future with the Tourism Climate Index.”  Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 14 (2006): 349-366.

Elsasser, H. and R. Burki.  “Climate Changes as a Threat to Tourism in the Alps.”  Climate Res., 20 (2002): 253-257.

Maddison, D.  “In Search of Warmer Climates?  The Impact of Climate Change on Flows of British Tourists.”  Climactic Change, 49 (2001): 193-208.

Smith, Nicola.  “Reindeer Thrive in Warmer World.”  Sunday Times (London, England) 23 July 2006: 24.