European travelers can expect overcrowded areas, full hotels and labor strikes as industry experts point to rebounding tourism demand surpassing prepandemic levels. But the latest extreme weather has flagged another danger for visitors: summer heat waves, which climate researchers say will be longer, more frequent and more intense in Europe.
Rising temperatures in recent days coincide with a popular time to visit Europe, the most popular overseas destination for American travelers this year, industry observers said. And while extreme weather has caused travel disruptions in the past, especially in countries not set up to deal with it, the heat can also be deadly: More than 61,000 people died in heat waves last year summer in Europe, according to a recent study.
In the latest heat wave, European officials have taken steps to try to protect visitors from the extreme weather. After a tourist collapsed in front of the Acropolis in Athens, authorities briefly closed the site on Friday and Saturday, due to the heat. And volunteers from the Hellenic Red Cross handed out free water bottles to visitors to help them stay hydrated.
On Monday, Britain’s Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Greece, Italy and Spain to note extreme temperatures and the risk of wildfires, warning British tourists to stay abreast of local weather updates.
In Rome, which is expecting especially baking temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday, officials have sprung into action a task force of workers and volunteers who patrol places like the Colosseum and outdoor markets to hand out water and spot people suffering from heat stress. Officials in many European countries are warning people to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, and measures such as cooling stations have been introduced in many cities popular with tourists.
Even with large numbers of visitors to Europe this summer, travel advisors say there are signs of changing travel patterns that are likely to become common if the extreme heat continues. July and August are usually the peak travel months, but the season starts to stretch into April, May, September and October.
Some travelers also choose to visit European countries in the north, while others plan their itineraries during cooler times of the day.