By Carlos Roa, VoLo Foundation
As global temperatures climb, the tourism industry is facing mounting disruptions, ranging from falling visitor numbers and shuttered attractions to strained infrastructure and rising health emergencies.
Tourism, a cornerstone of many national economies, is proving highly vulnerable to climate change.
A recent feature on the Travel Trade Today website reports severe heat waves and wildfires are disrupting tourism across North America and Europe, leading to a noticeable decline in travel.
The article adds popular destinations in the U.S., Canada, Greece, Turkey and Portugal are reporting fewer visitors as extreme weather makes travelers more cautious about booking trips to climate-affected regions.
A 2024 study conducted in China found for every 1 degree C increase in average temperature, international tourist arrivals drop by 8.09%, while tourism revenue falls by 6.04%. These figures underscore how extreme heat can translate into significant financial losses for destinations heavily reliant on visitors.
Historic attractions and tourist health at risk
The risks are not just financial. The World Economic Forum reported in Greece, authorities were forced to close the Acropolis when temperatures soared to 45 degrees C in 2023, to protect both visitors and staff. On the island of Rhodes, wildfires linked to extreme heat waves have prompted mass evacuations of tourists, disrupted travel plans and raised safety concerns.
According to the same source, hospitals in Rome reported a surge in emergency admissions during heat waves, surpassing levels seen at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combination of unfamiliar climates, sightseeing under direct sun and pre-existing health conditions makes tourists particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
Airlines face climate pressures too
Extreme heat is also complicating air travel. As temperatures rise, the reduced air density makes it harder for planes to take off fully loaded.
As explained on the Executive Flyers website, extreme heat can ground planes because hot air is less dense, reducing the lift needed for takeoff. While longer runways or higher climb rates can help compensate, these solutions aren’t always practical, leading airlines to delay or cancel flights during heat waves.
Airlines respond by reducing passenger numbers, shedding baggage or delaying flights altogether. These operational hurdles highlight how even the act of getting to a destination is becoming less reliable in a warming world.
Tourists reroute to cooler destinations
As extreme heat becomes harder to ignore, more travelers are adjusting their vacation plans. This change is driving a rise in summer travel to destinations that were once overlooked but are now attracting attention for their milder climates.
The European Commission published a Joint Research Centre study projecting that climate change will reshape tourism in Europe. Southern coastal regions are likely to lose almost 10% of their visitors in hotter summers under 3 degrees C and 4 degrees C warming scenarios, while northern coastal areas attract more demand.
A broader climate challenge
Rising temperatures pose a systemic threat to global tourism. Risks include extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, strained resources such as water and electricity, and shifts in natural seasonality. Together, these forces are reshaping how and where people travel, with long-term consequences for economies dependent on steady tourist flows.
Extreme heat is no longer a short-term inconvenience. It is a growing risk threatening destinations, travelers and the global tourism economy alike. From closed monuments in Athens to grounded flights in Las Vegas, the realities of climate change are reshaping the very foundations of how the world travels.
Carlos Roa is senior press and PR director for VoLo Foundation. VoLo Foundation is a financial supporter of The Invading Sea. This piece was originally published at https://volofoundation.org/news/tourism-falters-under-extreme-heat/. Banner photo: Tourists shield themselves from the sun during a heat wave in Paris, France (iStock image).
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