Northampton travel agent says heatwaves and wildfires are changing our travel habits
Families are changing when, where and how they travel as European destinations face record temperatures.
A Northampton travel agent says extreme heat and wildfires in Europe are changing our summer holiday travel habits.
This year climate change has seen temperature records broken in France, Croatia, Italy and Spain with wildfires up 87% on the continent.
Last week firefighters in Spain, Portugal and Greece battled wildfires on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes.
Donna Cody who works in Northampton for Not Just Travel, affiliated with Hayes Travel Group, says people are rethinking when to go to these popular destinations:
"In recent years, and I think that is with climate change, it can only be climate change as far as as far as clients behaviour that has changed. Normally they say, I would go to Greece in the summer, or people do Spain, Turkey.
"People are questioning the heat. However, it's not stopping them going. OK, it's changing the time they go."
Donna says people are travelling more to these areas earlier, in June, or later in September, with big peaks as well during Easter and October half terms, and some destinations extending their summer periods with more flights later in the year:
"Crete, for instance, people have they've they've extended their season and flights are right through to November now. So people still want to go to these places. They're just slightly changing the times they go."
Also we are looking to cooler areas according to Donna:
"This year I've had an increase in inquiries for places like Slovenia, lakes, mountains, really adventurous for kids kayaking things to do. It's the same with the Austrian Alps.
"There's a lot of big summer resorts up there where there's there's mountain biking, there's a kayaking, sailing. So there's lots of alternatives other than the beach holiday."
Donna says whilst great for experiences these areas don't always offer the all inclusive package trips many enjoy.
For families tied to the summer school holidays and still looking to get the Mediterranean experience, she says another holiday is becoming popular, cruises:
"That offers an all inclusive option, you get to see different places. They're not unpacking the kids every two seconds on a tour. They still get to go to the Med. They still get to go to the sea, but because they're not permanently in one resort, they're not feeling the heat as much."
Donna wonders if in future hot summers may see more staggered rules around school summer holiday term times, to allow for summer trips outside of the heatwave and wildfire peaks.
Europe's wildfires this summer
The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares or 610 square miles, according to the European Union's European Forest Fire Information System.
That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London.
The high speed rail line connecting it to Spain's capital Madrid was also suspended and highways in Galicia closed several highways
A heatwave brought temperatures exceeding 40 degrees.
In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were battling fires on Friday.
In the past week, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania have requested help from the EU's firefighting force to deal with forest fires.
Advice for travellers
If you are planning on travelling to a destination currently under a heatwave or at risk of wildfires, Donna says to keep safe, keep up with local news and government advice:
"For instance in Greece there's a 112 line which is their government line which gives you messages on your mobile phone."
She also says 'robust travel insurance' is very important:
"People think that they're going on a package holiday and they don't need extra insurance, but they do health wise, for loss of loss of belongings."