Record heatwaves are driving Europeans to seek summer vacations in cooler regions, from Scandinavia to mountain resorts, with data showing a dramatic surge in interest for destinations like Oslo and Copenhagen.
Extreme heat that has hit southern Europe this year, with temperatures regularly climbing to 40°C, has sparked a veritable tourist exodus toward the north. The trend, popularly dubbed 'coolcation,' is no longer just a passing fad, data for 2026 reveals that travelers are increasingly swapping their usual summer resorts for destinations where daytime temperatures don't exceed a pleasant 30°C.
On-the-ground experiences clearly illustrate this shift. Terje Viblom Pedersen, a guide in southeastern Sweden, notes that his guests increasingly reveal they've come precisely to escape the unbearable heat of the continent's south. They're also drawn by fewer crowds and the refreshing sea breeze. Daniel and Florence Gastaldi, French retirees from Marseille, confirmed this during a stroll through Stockholm's old town. "It's good that we escaped the heatwave. We're happy to have found cooler temperatures," they said.
Research by agencies Mabrian and Data Appeal confirms that the trend has peaked in 2026. Northern regions like southern Finland and Norway's Vestland are becoming increasingly attractive, as are the northern parts of traditionally warmer countries, Galicia in Spain, Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy, and Normandy and Alsace in France. Data from Hotels.com is particularly telling: since the first heatwave hit France in May 2026, searches for accommodation in Copenhagen on the French version of the site have jumped by a whopping 246 percent, while searches for Dublin have risen by 151 percent.
Jonna Robertson, a consultant at New York-based agency Fora Travel and founder of the platform Coolcation Adventures, highlights that the same phenomenon is being recorded in the United States, which is also battling extreme temperatures. "In Oslo, bookings have risen by 154 percent compared to last year, while Helsinki is seeing a 124 percent increase. These figures tell me that travelers are actively seeking alternatives to traditional summer destinations," Robertson emphasized. At the same time, the summer popularity of mountain resorts is also growing. Jean-Pascal Chopard, head of the tourism board for the Jura mountain region, explains: "The reason is that at higher altitudes, temperatures drop significantly in the evening and at night, making a stay much more comfortable."
Despite the strong wave of interest in the north, experts urge caution before declaring the end of the Mediterranean's dominance. Swedish professor and tourism expert Stefan Gossling told AFP that all European countries are seeing an increase in arrivals and that there is no clear trend solely linked to heat. "Temperature is just one of the factors people consider when planning a vacation. There are many other elements. Italy and Denmark can't be compared in terms of culture, environment, or prices. Because of all this, people don't easily change destinations if they already have their favorites," Gossling explained.
His claim is backed by data from Norway, where surveys show that roughly one in five foreign tourists cites cooler summer temperatures as one of the reasons for coming. Still, southern Europe, traditionally more affordable, firmly holds the top spot. Greece and Spain recorded their best tourist seasons in history last year, and according to data from the Exceltur organization, spending by domestic and foreign tourists in Spain in the second quarter of 2026 has already risen by more than eight percent.
An interesting detail also comes from Switzerland, where the peak tourist season in the Alps typically runs from December to March, but record heatwaves have made this year completely different. Mountain resorts across Europe are increasingly filling up during the summer as well. Jonna Robertson from Fora Travel believes a seasonal redistribution of travel is more likely than a permanent departure from the Mediterranean. In her estimation, trips to warmer countries could increasingly shift to spring or autumn, thereby avoiding both large crowds and exhausting temperatures.
