International warming surged to alarming new highs in 2024: The World Meteorological Group reported that 2024 was the warmest yr ever recorded, with temperatures roughly 1.55°C above pre‑industrial ranges.
Skift Analysis surveyed U.S. vacationers to learn the way weather-related occasions are affecting their journey selections.
Our survey reveals that almost all should not but considerably altering their plans in response to local weather dangers: Solely 34% reported avoiding locations as a result of excessive climate, and one other 21% thought-about it.
As well as, 40% had been unconcerned and 24% took no particular precautions. That implies that local weather considerations are nonetheless secondary for a lot of vacationers — and will additionally recommend a transparent divide in threat notion.
Amongst those that are adapting, in style methods embody selecting extra climate-stable locations, touring in shoulder seasons, and reserving versatile or refundable journey. This habits signifies a rising, however not but dominant, consciousness of climate-related journey dangers.
It additionally factors to a type of passive threat administration: as an alternative of fixing locations or timing upfront, vacationers are counting on reactive measures — equivalent to cancellations, refunds, or insurance coverage claims — if disruptions do happen.
In different phrases, local weather is not essentially deterring journey, however it’s shaping how folks put together for uncertainty.
One notably telling shift is the elevated desire for shoulder season journey. With 31% of respondents adjusting the timing of their journeys to keep away from climate extremes, this displays a extra considerate, balanced strategy — vacationers should not abandoning their plans, however they’re selecting home windows that supply extra steady circumstances, fewer disruptions, and better peace of thoughts.
It’s an indication that whereas local weather could not but dominate journey choices, it’s quietly reshaping when and the way folks transfer.
Skift’s in-depth reporting on local weather points is made doable by way of the monetary help of Intrepid Journey. This backing permits Skift to deliver you high-quality journalism on some of the necessary matters going through our planet at this time. Intrepid will not be concerned in any choices made by Skift’s editorial crew.
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