Climate Crisis Shifts Holiday Ideals To The U.K. And North Europe

For many travel operators, the climate crisis may be an opportunity for growth, as bookings can be taken for longer throughout the year and newer (cooler) destinations become more attractive. It will also enable tourists to avoid Covid-style lockdowns where they may be forced to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day across Europe, as has been the case for holidaymakers and residents throughout July and August in the northern hemisphere.

As our hot, stuffy plane approached Bodrum, the seaside resort city on Turkey’s southwest coast, I closed my eyes and imagined a cool plunge into the crystalline turquoise waters of the Aegean. It was late July, and I was going home for vacation, despite warnings about the record heat. Southern Turkey is always hot in the summer, but the thought of sea breezes and swimming made it seem a desirable destination — especially after spending the last month in a heat wave in Geneva where air-conditioning is all but banned.

There were so many things I was looking forward to about my trip to Boston from London in early April. 

It’s a pink summer.

”Hong Kong is a photographer’s dream,” says Geraint Rowland. “It’s got impressive architecture and the busy streets teem with life, day and night.” The Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year winner was blown away by the territory. As part of their dual-destination photo commission, the four winners of the UK’s biggest travel photography competition were first guided around Hong Kong and its many islands. They soon discovered there were plenty of opportunities to point their lenses, whether the neon skyscrapers, the old neighbourhoods from which the city evolved or one of the 260 outlying islands, whose slower pace of life, unusual wildlife and natural landscapes offer a contrast to that famous urban bustle.

It’s no longer something to keep hidden.

If you haven’t heard about the U.K.’s heated debate on cutting ties with the European Union—dubbed a “Brexit”—you certainly will this week. Britons headed to the ballot box on Thursday and made the historic decision to leave the European Union.

Are you among the many travelers who believe that overnight red-eye flights in economy class constitute cruel and unusual punishment? On most routes to Europe, you’re largely out of luck in finding any other option—until now.

Holland America Line will launch a 42-day cruise across the Atlantic Ocean and around Europe and the Middle East from Florida next year, inspired by a journey the cruise line took nearly 100 years ago.

It may be hard to believe, but there’s a place in England where the sand is fine and white, the sea is turquoise blue, and the sun shines more than just about anywhere else in the country. In this dream-like place, you can surf, you can sunbathe (and even get a tan), you can hike coastal paths, valleys, and moors, and you can stuff you face with cream teas and pasties. You guess it, Cornwall, England, is a must-see when in Britain. Lucky for you, it’s only a direct train ride away from London.

Repeated heatwaves and growing fears about the climate crisis may spell the beginning of the end for the Mediterranean as a holiday destination, according to a report published by the European Travel Commission.

For low-tide loveliness, the coastline between Alnmouth and Cresswell in Northumberland takes some beating. With the tide out the beaches and skies are overwhelming, especially on a sunny day. The coast is vast, so if you like solitude you’ll find it here. You have the bonus of a wander into the beautiful village of Warkworth and the small town of Amble. Access to public transport in this area is pretty good too, considering its remoteness.Barry Peaden