Travel agency TUI is seeing a shift in the tourist season, starting earlier in spring and ending in autumn, as climate change affects tourists' habits.
TUI chief executive Sebastian Ebel commented that this summer had been characterised by extreme weather across southern Europe and after announcing that TUI could face additional costs of up to €25m due to the fires in Rhodes.
That experience led the company to consider introducing insurance coverage for its customers travelling to destinations that could be affected by climate change-related phenomena, such as wildfires, Ebel said during a telephone briefing with reporters.
However, climate change can also benefit the travel group, extending the tourist season and opening new destinations.
“We will go into Greece in mid-November, and I asked my colleagues, maybe we should open it until the end of the year, until or after Christmas,” Ebel told a media call.
He added there would be a focus on new destinations in Nordic countries, the coasts of Belgium and Poland, as tourists seek out cooler climates.
“It gives us more growth opportunities,” he said.
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