Will ‘coolcations’ change the geography of international tourism?

This summer, amid scorching heatwaves, travellers are looking beyond the usual Mediterranean destinations in hopes of cooler escapes. But will this only be a one-off summer, or mark a durable shift in the tourism market?

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With temperatures in the European summer now climbing up towards 40C, the trend of seeking out cool has now become cool.

This year, visitors “have been telling me that they have escaped the heat in southern parts of Europe”, said Terje Viblom Pedersen, a guide who offers tours in southeastern Sweden.

They are “just amazed” by the daytime high temperatures under 30C and sea breezes, as well as the lack of crowds compared to tourist hotspots in southern Europe.

“It’s good to have escaped the heatwave,” said Daniel and Florence Gastaldi, two French tourists on a tour of Stockholm’s Old Town. “We’re happy to have found cooler temperatures,” added the recently retired couple from the southern French city of Marseille.

The “coolcations” travel trend – holidays in a cooler climate – has been gathering pace in recent years and appears to have exploded in 2026.

Research by Mabrian and Data Appeal found a rising appeal for northern regions such as southern Finland and Vestland in Norway. Travellers are also favouring northern areas of European countries further south, such as Galicia in Spain, Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy and Normandy and Alsace in France.

On the French version of Hotels.com, searches for rooms in the Danish capital of Copenhagen have jumped by 246% since the first heatwave struck France in May. Those for Dublin in Ireland have risen by 151%. The trend is not limited to France.

Jonna Robertson, a trip advisor at New York-based Fora Travel, said she had observed the phenomenon in the United States, which has also seen its share of sweltering weather.

“Oslo has seen booking growth of 154% year-over-year, Helsinki 124%,” said the expert and founder of Coolcation Adventures. “Those numbers tell me that travellers are actively looking beyond the traditional summer hotspots.”

In France, industry experts say they have seen the growing popularity of mountain resorts during the summer.

“That’s because at higher altitudes there is a clear drop in temperatures in the evening and during the night, which makes the stays much more liveable,” said Jean-Pascal Chopard, head of the tourism body for the mountainous Jura region.

Southern Europe’s popularity remains

But will this current enthusiasm actually change the geography of international tourism?

Travellers’ choices depend on a whole range of different factors, not least pricing, experts point out.

And southern Europe, which is traditionally cheaper than the north, remains at the top of the most popular destinations.

“All European countries have recorded an increase in tourist arrivals, and there is no discernible trend linked to the heat,” Swedish professor Stefan Gossling, a tourism specialist, told AFP.

“Temperature is one aspect people take into account when they go on vacation. But there are many other elements. Italy is not Denmark in terms of culture, environment, prices. All of that means people don’t easily change destinations when they have a favourite.”

Norway’s tourism promotion agency agreed. “Our recent visitor surveys show that around one in five foreign tourists considers cooler summer temperatures to be one of the reasons for choosing Norway,” it said.

However, “climate is only one of many factors that influence travel decisions”, it argued.

Security, nature, accessibility, air connections and exchange rates also play a role and Mediterranean countries have very extensive tourism infrastructures.

High footfall continues to showcase the popularity of Europe’s warmer climates.

Greece, for example, had its best year ever in terms of visitor numbers last year, as did Spain.

In Spain, spending by domestic and foreign tourists has already risen by more than 8% in the second quarter of 2026, according to data published recently by Exceltur, an organisation that brings together the main Spanish tourism companies.

Fora’s Robertson, for her part, is counting on a seasonal redistribution, with trips to hotter countries taking place in spring or autumn, in order to avoid both overtourism and exhausting temperatures.