Extreme Heat Challenges Future of Spain’s Popular Tourist Destinations

The climate emergency poses a “real risk” to Spain’s traditional mass tourism model as rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves impact the country’s popular coastal destinations, warns a senior public health adviser.

Héctor Tejero, head of health and climate change at Spain’s health ministry, highlighted to The Guardian the physical impacts of the climate crisis, prompting the ministry to initiate discussions with the British embassy on educating “vulnerable” tourists about coping with extreme heat.

Tejero expressed concerns about the potential disappearance of tourism in parts of Spain due to climate change.

“It’s a real risk because the big Spanish sol y playa tourist areas – the areas that are most dependent on tourism – are places where the impact of climate change is going to be greatest in Spain; places such as the south and the east of the peninsula – basically the Mediterranean coast. There’s a definite risk that the zones where there’s most tourism will become less habitable because of more heatwaves and much hotter nights.”

These harsh conditions could deter tourists or increase air-conditioning costs for hotels as units would need to operate for longer periods.

“Tourism is one of many sectors at risk from climate change,” Tejero noted. “It needs to adapt to the climatic reality that’s on the way. That’s why we need to adapt the tourist sector, consider reducing it, and try to mitigate the effects of climate change before they get worse. But Spain is the EU country that’s most vulnerable to climate change and that’s not going to change in the short term.”

Concerns about over-tourism in Spain, which saw a record 85.1 million international visitors last year – a 19% increase on 2022 – have led to significant protests. Demonstrators in the Canary Islands have raised issues about water shortages exacerbated by the tourist influx, while activists in the Balearic Islands are seeking to limit the number of cars arriving by ferry.

A Spanish government report from 2007 predicted that a changing climate could dramatically alter Spain’s tourism industry. It foresaw eroded beaches, flooded transport systems, water shortages during peak seasons, and closed ski resorts. By 2080, the report forecast a 20% decline in tourism from northern Europe compared to 2004 levels due to rising temperatures prompting people to holiday at home.

Tejero stressed that heatwaves and higher temperatures are the most immediate and visible effects of the climate crisis, posing particular risks to tourists unaccustomed to such conditions.

“We’re in discussions, with the British embassy in particular – with whom we already collaborate on different aspects of climate change and decarbonisation – to start to think about how we can make the tourists who come a lot more aware of the climate crisis and to give them more advice so they can protect themselves,” he said.

He emphasised the need for tourists to heed the government’s heat slogan – “protect yourself; hydrate yourself; refresh yourself” – and follow the example of locals who avoid the sun between midday and 4 pm.

“The few fatal cases of heatstroke we had last year were among tourists, aged over 50 or 60, who set out on hikes in high summer and got heatstroke,” he explained. “I was reading about a case the other day where a woman died because her husband didn’t speak enough Spanish to get help by phone after she collapsed. Tourists need to remember that they’re a little more vulnerable than the local population – and that means they need to stick even more closely to the recommendations when it comes to staying hydrated and keeping out of the sun.”

Other parts of southern Europe have also grappled with extreme heat. In June, several foreign tourists, including British television presenter Michael Mosley, died during a period of unseasonably high temperatures in Greece.

Recent epidemiological studies have shown that approximately 3,000 deaths each year in Spain are attributable to the heat, with hot spells causing a 10% rise in urgent hospital admissions. Additionally, higher temperatures are expected to increase vector-borne diseases. This week, a man was hospitalised in Madrid with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, an emerging disease spread by ticks.

Spain’s mass tourism model faces significant challenges as the climate crisis intensifies. Adapting to these changes and educating tourists about the risks are crucial steps in ensuring the sector’s sustainability amidst rising temperatures.

Read also:

Climate Action Network Launch National Energy & Climate Plans Tracker Tool

Click here for more News & Current Affairs at EU Today

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@eutoday1049