With this summer having seen record-breaking temperatures across much of Europe, some travel experts predict that the Netherlands will see a spike in tourism numbers in the future as holidaymakers opt for destinations with cooler weather over the hot summer months. 

Southern Europe too hot for summer holidays

The Netherlands does occasionally see some hot weather over the summer - recent years have broken numerous weather records with various heatwaves - but 2023 on the whole brought a rather cold, wet and grey summer season. Meanwhile, southern Europe battled forest fires as holidaymakers sweltered in temperatures well over 40 degrees. 

While many families look for sunshine and heat when travelling over the summer holidays, these exceedingly hot conditions might lead to some travellers reconsidering their summer plans in the near future. Talking to the AD, Sebastian Ebel from TUI explained that an increasing number of customers were booking holidays to cooler destinations over the summer, such as countries in Scandinavia and, yes, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Heatwaves could lead to a shift in travel trends

While some may seek out cooler weather on their next summer holiday, Ebel expects that holidays to Mediterranean destinations will remain popular in the future - although perhaps some travellers will opt to visit these areas in the cooler spring and autumn months.

“Changes will occur,” Ebel told the AD. “We will focus more on those new destinations.” Ebel’s predictions come only a few weeks after Swiss holidaymakers were advised to reconsider their holiday plans and swap more traditional holiday destinations for cooler and less crowded destinations in northern Europe.

Thumb image credit: KarinR via Shutterstock.com.