Experts are warning that climate change will negatively affect the comfort of tourists during peak season this year, between May and September.
Temperatures in the Mediterranean Basin are rising faster than the global average. Having surged by 1,5°C in the past century, this year’s peak summer season will be marked by uncomfortable weather for tourists, with the heat being a major deterrent.
“Temperatures can reach up to 45°C on extreme days. This reduced comfort for tourists is a significant and growing concern,” said Mahmet Somuncu, Head of Ankara University’s Human Economic Geography Department in Turkey.
Somuncu said the area would face water shortages in the coming years, along with an increase in the frequency of natural disasters, which would impact tourism facilities.
During last year’s summer season, France 24 reported a 10% decrease in tourism compared with 2022, partly due to extreme weather conditions and wildfires in the Mediterranean region.
