Heat wave hits tourism in Europe

20-07-24

An intense heat wave has raised temperatures in several regions of central and southern Europe, reaching peaks of up to 40 degrees Celsius. Authorities recommend avoiding going out during the hottest hours of the day to prevent health problems related to the extreme heat.

In Italy, seven cities, including Rome and Trieste, are on red alert. In the capital, an app helps citizens locate public drinking water sources when temperatures reach 38°C. In Verona, where temperatures have hovered around 35°C, sprinklers have been installed in public parks to cool passersby, and tourists are urged to use available water fountains.

Croatia has issued similar warnings, while forest fires have been reported in Albania, near the Greek border, as well as in Bosnia and Italy. In Prague, Czech Republic, temperatures reached 34 degrees Celsius, and in Bucharest, Romania, street thermometers reached 42 degrees Celsius. In Serbia, record temperatures of 35ºC were recorded in the north of the country.

In Greece, warnings have been issued for the Athens region and other parts of central and northeastern Greece. The Acropolis of Athens, Greece's main cultural attraction, had to close for several hours at midday on Wednesday due to the extreme heat. Authorities closed the monument from noon to 5 p.m., while municipalities made air-conditioned indoor spaces available to the public. People have been urged to avoid sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day and to drink water frequently.

High temperatures are forecast to persist for several more days. In this context, the impact on tourism is inevitable. As an immediate consequence, travelers may consider avoiding destinations with high temperatures, prone to wildfires and with tendencies to prolonged heat waves, seeking cooler and less heat-affected regions for their vacations.