Scotland is proving a popular destination for southern Europeans seeking an escape from the sweltering heat.
Northerly Britain’s more temperate climate has prompted a surge in visitors from Italy, France and Spain which have seen flight searches rocket alongside rising temperatures.
According to new research from online travel agent eDreams Odigeo, the number of Italian holidaymakers searching for flights to the UK rose by 13% in June, compared with the same month last year, while searches by French visitors increased by 10%.
Searches in Italy for trips to Edinburgh were up by 19% and to Glasgow by 20%, while Inverness leapt by 44%. Aberdeen saw a 12% rise in enquiries from Spain.
The research was based on more than 200 million daily travel searches across 44 markets and showd that flight searches to Edinburgh from Italy doubled (up 103%) over the past three years. Over that period Belfast saw a 73% increase in interest from France, 67% from Italy, 41% from Portugal and 30% from Spain.
Soaring temperatures in southern Europe have been identified as the key reason, has also been seen as a factor for travellers in other hotspots. One B&B owner spoke of a group of visitors from California happy to stand outside in the cooling drizzle when they arrived.
Scotland has seen a high of 32 degrees this year – still hot and uncomfortable for Britons, but less so for southern Europeans who have endured 48 degrees in recent weeks, with the heat and lack of rain blamed for forest fires and forcing people to stay out of the sun.
VisitBritain is estimating that spending by tourists will exceed £33 billion this year, up from £31.5bn in 2024.
A recent poll by the eDreams Ordigeo of 10,000 holidaymakers across the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the United States found that 68 per cent of respondents said they would change their travel plans, including dates and the destination, to avoid extreme weather conditions.
Early autumn
Some leaves are already turning yellow and beginning to fall as climate change watchers ask if the heatwave is causing autumn to begin early.
Experts say signs of the season, like leaves falling or apples being ready to pick, are signs of nature becoming stressed by the long hot and dry summer.
Classic autumn fruits like blackberries and apples – normally ready in September – are hanging off branches, while aubergines, red peppers, courgettes and tomatoes have thrived in the above-average temperatures and extra sunshine hours.
Last month, the Environment Agency said North West England, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and West Midlands were in drought. Parts of Wales, including the Cardiff area, have had the driest six months since 1976 and are in drought.
The UK has had 89% of the average sunshine hours for summer. The Met Office says it would normally expect 79% by this point.
The effects of the change could be felt by the birds and the bees Birds will look for fruits like blackberries to “sustain them through the autumn and winter,” she says. But where the crop comes early, the birds could go hungry.
Bees are also showing signs of shutting down for the winter, as early crops and flowering plants could leave them without enough food.
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