Many travellers have been systematically avoiding the Mediterranean lately due to the high temperatures and opting for holidays in cooler destinations in Northern Europe, a development that brings a new travel trend to the fore. And its name is “Coolcation”.
That is, coolness and vacation, since the word comes from the combination of the words cool and vacation.
At the forefront of this new travel trend are two Scandinavian countries, Norway and Sweden, which are at the forefront of the concept of ‘cool holidays’.
Cool, less crowded places
In 2023, the number of overnight stays by foreigners increased by 22% in Norway, setting a record in August. In Sweden, the increase was 11%, according to official statistics. The increase was attributed to the end of health restrictions in 2022 and the fall in the Nordic currencies.
A survey conducted in Germany for the promotion agency Visit Sweden revealed that two out of five Germans plan to change their travel habits due to the summer heat in southern Europe. Thus, choosing other times of the year or new destinations outside the Mediterranean.
Susanne Andersson, head of Visit Sweden, said: “Coolcation is not just about the weather. It’s about travelling to destinations where the climatic conditions are a little cooler and where they welcome fewer travellers.”
Instead of crowded Mediterranean beaches and sweltering heat, many now prefer to swim in a lake or fjord or breathe fresh air on a mountain hike in relative isolation. This change in travellers’ preferences is being affected by incidents such as the partial closure of the Acropolis due to heatwave in June, as well as forest fires elsewhere in southern Europe.
According to UN climate experts (IPCC), it is almost certain that the frequency and intensity of extreme heat and the duration of heat waves have increased since 1950 and will certainly continue to increase with global warming. By 2050, about half of Europe’s population could be exposed to a very high risk of heat stress during the summer and the number of deaths associated with heat stress could double or even triple with global warming between +1.5°C and +3°C.
The shift of travellers to cooler destinations is reflected in the case of Rovaniemi, located in Finnish Lapland and stretching across the Arctic Circle, which saw a 29% increase in overnight stays last year. Sanna Kärkkäinen, responsible for tourism promotion in the region, noted that the trend of “cool holidays” has been going on for years and has gained momentum due to the extremely hot summers in southern and central Europe.
However, this tourism boom has brought problems such as the spread of Airbnb and issues of tourist behaviour.
“What we are most concerned about is overcrowding,” said Jan Ove Tryggestad, who served as mayor of a Norwegian city from 2011 to 2023. He cited the recent arrival of a huge cruise ship that can accommodate 6,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members. “It is a small village. In Hellesylt, there are only 280 to 300 inhabitants in winter. Of course, it’s a bit of a culture shock when such a large number of people, by European standards, suddenly come over,” he admitted. “But we are adapting.”
