September 2, 2024, 3:54 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Summer, sun, sunshine: what for many is the ideal of the hottest season of the year, but it is an absolute nightmare for others. Record heatwaves and more and more forest fires are also making summer vacations in the south increasingly unsafe. More and more travelers are, therefore, opting for much cooler destinations. Will the “coolcation” trend soon overtake Mallorca, Italy, and the like?
2023 was a real record year: as reported by the Federal Environment Agency, it was the warmest year worldwide since weather records began. This caused us in temperate Central Europe to groan on one day or another. Still, the most devastating consequences were probably experienced in countries where it is already record-breakingly hot in the summer months. Forest fires raged worse in Greece than ever before, while in Sicily, the thermometer climbed to over 48 degrees at one measuring station, according to the German Weather Service.
Defying the weather extremes with “Coolcation”
For many holidaymakers, the weather extremes are spoiling their summer vacation in the south. The increasing risk of forest fires is an almost incalculable risk, and the high temperatures are an enormous burden for older people or those with health problems. However, as we all get the travel bug in the summer months, one of the major travel trends in 2024 is “coolcation”. The term is made up of “cool” and “vacation.” It therefore refers to a vacation in climatically much more temperate climates. The thermometer at coolcation spots often barely exceeds 25 degrees Celsius. For more and more travelers, this seems to be a real guarantee for relaxation in the summertime.
Neighboring countries are often ideal destinations
Coolcation has another advantage in times of climate change and flight shame: it is not far from Germany, which already has a moderate climate, to cooler vacation regions. The Central Alps, for example, are a perfect destination for active vacationers even in midsummer. All German holidaymakers have to do is travel to their two southern neighbors; the Swiss and Austrians often find the perfect coolcation spot right on their own doorstep. Otherwise, there is really only one direction for a successful coolcation: northwards!
Susanne Dopp, spokesperson for the travel platform Expedia, confirms this: “We have noticed that interest in North Sea and Baltic destinations often increases when there are reports of heatwaves and extreme temperatures in the Mediterranean.” And this apparently does not apply to destinations such as Sweden or Denmark, which are already very popular with German travelers. North-eastern Europe is also arousing increasing interest among holidaymakers. In the first three weeks of July, Expedia recorded 30 percent more search queries for the Polish Baltic coast than in the 21 days before; for the Baltic coast of Estonia, there were even 60 percent more queries.
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“Coolcation” or not? Also, a question of price
“In addition to the pleasant climate, the fact that the Baltic Sea is gaining popularity may also be due to the price level,” says Susanne Dopp. Prices for accommodation, activities, and restaurants here are significantly lower than in Scandinavia. At least so far, the truth is that typical coolcation destinations are not for those on a tight budget. This is probably one of the reasons why the trend will not soon overtake the classic summer vacation in the often inexpensive south. “Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey are still among the top summer destinations for our German customers,” says Susanne Dopp. However, she also dares to take a look into the crystal ball: “If heatwaves become the norm in southern Europe, it is quite possible that the flow of tourists will shift towards the north or north-east in the long term.”