Victims of extreme weather consider next vacation destination more carefully: NBTC

Holidaymakers who experienced extreme weather this summer will think more carefully about their destination next time. 65 percent of them indicate that they will take the risk of a heatwave, forest fire, or extreme rainfall into account in their decision, compared to 42 percent of those not affected by extreme weather. The Dutch Tourism & Conventions Board (NBTC) reported this based on a representative study among Dutch, Germans, Belgians, British, French, and Americans.

A third of holidaymakers had to deal with extreme weather last summer, such as the forest fires in Rhodes, Greece, and floods in Slovenia. “A large number indicate that they will consider this when choosing their next destination,” said NBTC director Jos Vranken. To his surprise, it hardly led to booking a more sustainable trip so far. Compared to last year (52 percent), fewer people (48 percent) now consider it important to take climate change into account when choosing a destination.

Attention is needed to reverse this development, Vranken argued. “Previous research showed that being able to easily find and book sustainable offerings helps with this. Entrepreneurs and destinations can make a difference. And governments can help with incentive measures.”

High inflation also continues to cause changes in holiday plans. That applies to just under half of respondents, a decrease compared to the previous two measurements. Most people (46 percent) are considering abandoning their next trip due to high prices. The French are most discouraged by the increased costs (54 percent), the Dutch the least (39 percent).