With thermometers indicating record high temperatures in Europe, Open Jaw asked retailers and tour operators whether the heat wave is deterring Canadians from travel to the continent.
“Yes, clients are starting to cancel tours due to the heat,” said Wendy Davis, owner, Zebrano Travel, a member of the Virtuoso Luxury Travel Network, “We had one family where the son had heat stroke. He's okay but he was ill for a day.”
A Marlin Travel agent in Sidney, B.C. also told Open Jaw the heat in Europe is dampening bookings.
Reuters reports that Italy issued hot weather red alerts for 16 cities on Sunday, with meteorologists warning that temperatures will hit record highs across southern Europe in the coming days. Spain, Italy and Greece have been experiencing scorching temperatures for several days already, damaging agriculture and leaving tourists scurrying for shade, Reuters said.
ABC News Australia said the health ministry of Italy warned Italians to prepare for "the most intense heatwave of the summer and also one of the most intense of all time".
The forecast is for 42C degree temperatures in Rome on Wednesday, although a relatively low 35C in Naples. Forecasters are calling for temperatures around 40C in Athens later this week, and nearly 38C in Tokyo tomorrow.
The Guardian said British holidaymakers aiming to travel to mainland Europe this summer are worried they are not going to be able to cope with temperatures that may exceed 40C, with some having to cancel their tourist plans.
ALL’S COOL, SAY OPERATORS
Nino Montagnese, Vice President, Air Canada Vacations, said despite the heat, ACV is not seeing a slowdown in bookings.
“In fact, bookings are increasing substantially. For the last seven days we are up 152 per cent versus our benchmark. The booking pattern is unusual as there’s a lot of last minute, which we don’t normally see for Europe. The only problem is that land inventory is starting to dry up, especially in the lower star-rated hotel categories.”
Montagnese noted bookings are just as strong across Canada.
“In fact, our western sales team has outperformed expectations in stimulating sales.”
Nicole Bursey, Commercial Director, Transat Tours, told Open Jaw the heat isn’t slowing down bookings as the majority of European vacationers planned well in advance.
PLAN YOUR HOTEL CAREFULLY
Davis told Open Jaw she had anticipated a warm summer and she’s been booking families into hotels with swimming pools so they can stay cool.
“Cities like Rome don't have many hotels with pools so it's important to plan ahead. We like the Cipriani and San Clemente in Venice because they have large pools.
“Villas are nice as families or couples can relax during the heat of the day in the gardens and pools. We always book villas with a pool.”
“It’s also important to book hotels with good air conditioning systems,” Davis noted. “The top hotels all have it. Smaller properties may not. It's not easy to add AC to ancient buildings in a city like Siena, Italy. “
She also is booking clients bike tours and hikes in the morning.
TRY EUROPE IN THE FALL
Brenda Slater from Beyond the Beach travel, and co-founder of ACITA, said her clients tend to be boomers who are more interested in visiting Europe in the autumn. “It’s less hot, it’s harvest time and it’s perfect for river cruising and touring in general.”
Davis said it’s important to know your geography when booking a trip to Europe.
“The further south you go in Europe, the warmer it is. The Baltics are usually cooler. UK, Ireland and Switzerland are cooler. Also, it’s best to be by the seaside. As they say; go jump in the lake or the sea!”
Davis also notes that cities can become heat traps. “Spend some time in the countryside and siesta.”
As if uncomfortable tourists weren’t enough, USA Today reports that summer heat can also affect aircraft, even when there aren’t any storms.
“The weight at which you can operate (max gross takeoff weight) decreases as the temperature goes up,” said Kathleen Bangs, a former airline pilot and current spokesperson for FlightAware, which tracks flight status in real time. “The hotter and more humid the surrounding air is, the more aircraft components and airfoil performance degrade.”
PARIS OLYMPICS TRAVEL WORRIES
Looking ahead, Davis notes that the Summer Olympics will be in Paris from 26JUL-11AUG next year.
‘We anticipate it will be incredibly busy. July and August will be tough sells next summer between heat issues and the Olympics.”
Another factor is the potential for millions of travellers from China which saw 155 million tourists flock to Europe in 2019.
“Many destinations are already full,” she noted. “How will the popular ones handle this influx?”
Davis said it’s best to book way ahead now to get options and better pricing. “I am having serious conversations with our clients about booking all of their 2024 and 2025 trips now.”
“I’m worried for our business as we can't rely on typical booking patterns. It's all changing. You must pre-plan well ahead.”
