European holidaymakers, worn down by recurrent heatwaves, are currently snubbing Mediterranean destinations for northern climes in hopes of cooler temperatures, though it remains to be seen whether this is a lasting shift or merely a fad.
With summer temperatures in Europe regularly climbing toward 40 degrees Celsius (100F), the concept of "coolcations"—vacations in a cooler climate—has been gathering pace and appears to have exploded in 2026.
Visitors are finding relief in daytime highs under 30C, sea breezes, and a lack of the crowds often found in southern hotspots. Daniel and Florence Gastaldi, a recently retired couple from the southern French city of Marseille, joined a tour of Stockholm's Old Town to escape the heat.
"It's good to have escaped the heatwave," they said. "We're happy to have found cooler temperatures," they added. They noted they were "just amazed" by the conditions compared to their home region.
Data reflects this trend. On the French version of Hotels.com, searches for rooms in Copenhagen have jumped by 246 percent since the first heatwave struck France in May, while searches for Dublin have risen by 151 percent.
The trend is not limited to France; the founder of Coolcation Adventures noted that Oslo has seen booking growth of 154 percent year-over-year, with Helsinki at 124 percent.
These numbers indicate that travelers are actively looking beyond traditional summer hotspots.
In France, industry experts have also observed the growing popularity of mountain resorts during the summer. Jean-Pascal Chopard, head of the tourism body for the mountainous Jura region, explained that at higher altitudes, there is a clear drop in temperatures in the evening and during the night, which makes stays much more liveable.
However, experts question if this enthusiasm will change the geography of international tourism. Swedish professor Stefan Gossling, a tourism specialist, pointed out that traveler choices depend on a range of factors, including pricing. "All European countries have recorded an increase in tourist arrivals, and there is no discernible trend linked to the heat," he told AFP.
"Temperature is one aspect people take into account when they go on vacation," he said. "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 visitor surveys show that around one in five foreign tourists considers cooler summer temperatures a reason for choosing the country. Nevertheless, "climate is only one of many factors that influence travel decisions," it argued, noting that security, nature, accessibility, air connections, and exchange rates also play a role.
Indeed, visitor numbers continue to demonstrate the importance of warm countries.
Greece and Spain had their best years ever in terms of visitor numbers last year. In Spain, spending by domestic and foreign tourists rose by more than eight percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to data from Exceltur.
Fora's Jonna Robertson is counting on a seasonal redistribution, with trips to hotter countries taking place in spring or autumn to avoid both overtourism and exhausting temperatures.
Furthermore, Mediterranean countries have very extensive tourism infrastructures.
