Families will holiday in Poland, not scorching Southern Europe, Tui boss says

Rising temperatures in Southern Europe as a result of climate change have triggered increasingly destructive forest fires. Photo: NIKOLAS TUKAT/AFP

Holidayers will soon sunbathe on the Baltic Sea coast, predicts one of Europe's biggest travel agencies, as traditionally popular destinations including the Algarve have been hit by wildfires.

Sebastian Ebel, Executive Director Tui, said Poland and the Nordic countries could become summer holiday hotspots after the recent extreme temperatures that have devastated southern Europe.

Mr Ebel said climate change could force families to seek new destinations abroad, and Tui plans to invest more in package holidays in the Baltics, Scandinavia, as well as the Netherlands and Belgium.

This comes after a record — breaking the summer heat across Europe, which has disrupted traditional holiday destinations, mainly in Greece.

Tui was forced to evacuate 8,000 vacationers from Rhodes due to forest fires that engulfed the island last month.

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The tour operator said the disruption would cost him 25 million euros (£21 million) after having to cover the cost of repatriation flights and cancellations. However, Tui said that 80% of its travelers in Rhodes were not affected by the wildfires.

Mastercard data shows that bookings for holidays in the Nordic countries have increased this year, including the Nordic countries and the Netherlands, although the Mediterranean remains the most popular summer destination in Europe as a whole.

Tui had to evacuate 8,000 tourists from the Greek island of Rhodes after wildfires hit the island last month. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris

In addition to encouraging vacationers to look for new places, Mr. Ebel said he believes a warming climate will force the tourist season to start earlier and end later.

He said: «We'll be going to Greece in mid-November,» adding that Tui can even take bookings «before or after Christmas.»

«This gives us more room to grow,» he added.

The quarter's operating profit before taxes and interest was €169m (£146m), compared to a loss of €27m euro in the same period last year.

Revenues rose nearly one-fifth to €900m, with summer bookings up 6% year-over-year, partly due to higher prices.