What the heck is a coolcation? The hot way to travel in the face of sweltering summers

Sunday, 24 August 2025

Visiting Cinque Terre National Park in July might soon be a thing of the past.

Summer in Europe is getting hotter, with June 2025 being Western Europe’s hottest on record.

Temperatures topped 40C in some cities and wildfires scorched holiday hotspots like Greece and the Balkans.

Europe is warming faster than any other continent, at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Last year was the hottest year on record in Europe and globally, the monitoring agency said.

Fire burns on the south coast of Crete island, Greece, in July.

These effects of a warming planet are changing the way we travel. Enter “coolcations”.

What is a coolcation?

A “coolcation” is a travel trend where a holiday that avoids the heat, either by going somewhere naturally cooler, or by travelling outside the hot/crowded summer peak.

It’s largely emerged in the last couple of years because of the extreme summer heatwaves in Europe, Asia and North America. The classic holiday spots like the Mediterranean in July and August are becoming less comfortable and even unsafe.

House of Travel CEO David Coombes said the shoulder season is a more economical time to travel, plus it also has fewer crowds for a more authentic experience.

“Often Kiwis prefer to avoid the height of summer so the weather is more sun-kissed than sweltering, and unless their travel is specifically focused around winter sports, they will often aim for a shoulder season; an autumn or spring trip means less likelihood of travel disruption due to adverse weather.”

How popular is it?

A poll of North American travellers aged 35+, by EF Go Ahead Tours, found more than half now factor extreme summer heat into their decisions, and nearly 70% would prefer cooler spots such as New Zealand between June and August.

In Europe, off-season trips from November to March are gaining traction, led by Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece.

Though Mediterranean hotspots were losing ground as interest in Eastern Europe grows. The European Travel Commission says 81% of Europeans now consider climate when planning holidays.

A survey from Travelsavers and the Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel (NEST) found that almost a third of its agents reported their shoulder season bookings were up compared to the same time period last year.

Of those, 12% said shoulder season bookings were up 10% or more from the year prior, while 20% said they were up between 1% and 9%.

Finland with its cooler climate is growing in popularity.

In January, Norwegian Cruise Line tipped coolcations to be one of 2025’s hottest (no pun intended) travel trends.

It said Finland and Norway were trending destinations with Scandinavian countries particularly appealing to those embracing the concept of a ‘coolcation’.

Are New Zealanders following suit?

In short, yes.

Coombes said Europe was seeing the largest growth in shoulder season travel, with bookings for spring and autumn up 16% on last year, especially for those who can be flexible with travel dates, like retirees or those without children.

“When it comes to ‘coolcations’ we're also seeing the rise in other destinations like Japan becoming more popular as a winter destination during January when Kiwis have longer holidays. They can enjoy winter wonderlands and take advantage of the extra time to tour and have a more immersive holiday. International tourist arrivals in Japan were up 40.6% in January 2025 versus the same month in 2024.“

Coombes said close-to-home destinations like Australia and the Pacific Islands were always popular with Kiwis in September and October after a long winter and with spring temperatures still variable in New Zealand.

Active travel specialist UTracks says NZ travellers were extending their European walking and cycling holidays further into the spring and autumn.

“Spring and autumn aren’t just ‘in between’ months to travellers any more,” said general manager Natalie Tambolash. “They are becoming a priority for many NZ travellers.

“Cooler days and quieter trails make for a different kind of experience. In October, villages are alive with harvest traditions; in March, the same paths are lined with blossoms. Those seasonal details change the experience of a journey completely. And for communities along the way, shoulder season visitors matter just as much as those in peak season, sometimes more, because it spreads the benefits year-round.”

Have you chosen to avoid the heights of summer when considering your travel plans? Let us know in the comments.