More and more tourists are being drawn to the cold instead of the warm sun. We explain what the coolcation travel trend is all about.
While most Germans still like to spend their vacations in the south, another travel trend is currently becoming increasingly popular: traveling to cooler regions. “Coolcation”, made up of the words ‘cool’ (meaning ‘cold’) and ‘vacation’, is the name of this new travel trend in which people looking to cool off prefer to go on vacation to Scandinavian countries instead of the South Seas. We have taken a closer look at the travel trend for you and give you tips on how to plan your own coolcation and hot to connect it with the perfect casino experience.
Coolcation: where does the trend come from?
Away from the heat and into a cool adventure: more and more people are being drawn to temperate climate zones for their vacations. Due to climate change, temperatures in countries such as Italy and Greece are constantly setting new records. The high temperatures are prompting many German holidaymakers to rethink their vacation plans and plan a trip to a temperate climate zone. In countries such as Spain, it has become hotter and hotter and she “simply can’t stand it there any more”, says a German vacationer in Norway in a Tagesschau report. In the Mediterranean, it is “abnormally warm” and you just can’t have any more fun in the heat, says another tourist.
The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Finland and Sweden have already adapted to this and are even specifically promoting tourism through people who want to escape the heat.
According to a report by WDR, around 22% more tourists from abroad came to Norway in 2023. Sweden recorded an 11% increase in the number of visitors. In view of these high figures, WDR refers to a survey by the tourism association Visit Sweden. This revealed that a third of Germans want to rethink their own travel habits – due to the rising temperatures in the classic southern European vacation countries, coolcations are apparently becoming more attractive.
The most popular coolcation destinations
Pleasant temperatures are what tourists are looking for on a coolcation. Popular destinations for a coolcation are countries and regions in cool and temperate climate zones. Typical destinations are therefore above all
- Eastern Europe
- Norway
- Sweden
- Finland
- Estonia
- Northern parts of the United States
The cool weather business
A pleasant climate and diverse nature – Sweden in particular is a popular destination for coolcations. Sweden is particularly popular for coolcation marketing. The Swedish state tourism agency “Visit Sweden” is actively trying to market the coolcation trend. According to company director Susanne Andersson, the agency is therefore number one in international searches for the term “coolcation”. The agency’s German website also offers numerous travel tips on coolcation, including the benefits of a coolcation in Sweden:
pleasant summer temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius in southern Sweden
significantly longer summer days than in Germany due to the country’s high latitude
diverse nature and numerous opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts
many options for sustainable travel and mindful vacation experiences
With all this on offer, it is not surprising that the trend of coolcation is becoming increasingly popular.
Further increase in tourist numbers expected
Coolcation is becoming increasingly popular. The trend of coolcation is likely to become even more popular in the coming years. In a study conducted by the European Union in 2023, data from 269 European regions was collected and analyzed. The aim was to determine how the current climate conditions affect tourist flows. The result: “We see a clear north-south pattern in the changes in tourism demand. The northern regions are benefiting from climate change, while the southern regions are facing significant declines in tourism demand”.
It is therefore to be expected that more and more holidaymakers will travel to the temperate climate zones for a coolcation in the future, while tourism in the southern countries will decline. This will have consequences for both sides.
The problem with climate tourism
The rising number of tourists in Scandinavia is not without consequences for the climate. Some regions of Scandinavia are pleased about the increasing number of climate tourists, i.e. people who are vacationing there specifically because of the temperate climate. Travel journalist Bernadette Olderdisse reports on WDR that at least some regions are even actively trying to attract new vacationers and are constantly expanding climate tourism. There are no concerns among the locals, she says. After all, people who go on vacation in Scandinavia long less for parties and more for a return to nature.
On the other hand, the flourishing tourism industry in Scandinavia also has some disadvantages:
Many vacationers come by plane, accelerating climate change, even in the northern countries. In the Tagesschau, mountain guide Bruheim from Norway reports on the impact of tourism on the glaciers: “ want to see the glaciers before they disappear. But if more and more people come by plane, the impact on climate change will increase. And with it the threat to the glacier.” Bruheim is therefore encouraging the relevant authorities to restrict marketing for trips to the glaciers, even though he himself is benefiting from the increasing numbers of tourists.