Will Heatwaves Turn European Getaways into ‘Coolcations’?

It feels a bit surreal, the way Europeans are now eyeing the cooler climes of Scandinavia and the British Isles as their go‑to summer spots. When the mercury routinely nudges the 40 °C mark in places like Spain or Italy, the word “heatwave” stops being a headline and becomes a personal inconvenience.

“People keep telling me they’ve fled the heat in southern Europe,” says Terje Viblom Pedersen, a tour guide who runs day trips around Stockholm’s Old Town. “They’re amazed by evenings that stay below 30 °C, by fresh sea breezes, and—surprisingly—by how few crowds there are compared with the Mediterranean hotspots.”

For Daniel and Florence Gastaldi, a retired couple from Marseille, the allure was immediate. “It’s a relief to escape the heatwave,” they admitted after strolling through Gamla Stan. “We finally feel the weather is on our side.”

The term “coolcations” has been buzzing around travel forums for a few years, but 2026 seems to have given it a real push. French users on Hotels.com searched for Copenhagen rooms 246 % more often after the first French heatwave of May, while queries for Dublin jumped 151 %. Similar spikes appear elsewhere: Oslo bookings are up 154 % year‑on‑year, Helsinki 124 %.

Even travel agents across the Atlantic are noticing the shift. Jonna Robertson of New‑York‑based Fora Travel points out that American travellers are also gravitating toward cooler destinations after their own scorching summers. “Numbers tell us that people are actively looking beyond the traditional sun‑and‑sand circuit,” she says, adding that her company now offers “Coolcation Adventures” packages.

Yet, experts caution against reading too much into the data. “All European countries have seen more tourists, and there’s no clear, heat‑driven pattern yet,” explains Stefan Gossling, a professor of tourism at Stockholm University. “Temperature is just one factor; culture, price, accessibility and personal preferences still dominate.”

That sentiment echoes in Norway’s tourism board, which notes that roughly one‑in‑five foreign visitors cite milder summer weather as a plus, but also stresses that safety, nature and exchange rates matter just as much.

Meanwhile, the classic sun‑kissed destinations are still thriving. Greece recorded its best visitor numbers ever last year, and Spain’s tourism revenue rose more than eight % in Q2 2026, according to industry body Exceltur.

What may emerge is a more balanced seasonal flow. Robertson envisions travellers heading to the hotter Mediterranean in spring or autumn, saving the peak summer for the north. If that happens, both the over‑touristed beaches and the overstretched northern towns could find a healthier rhythm.

Only time will tell whether “coolcations” become a permanent fixture or a fleeting reaction to an unusually hot summer. For now, though, the breeze off the Baltic certainly feels a lot more inviting than the scorching Mediterranean sun.