Europe’s Heat Toll Doubled the Old Record, and Tourists Weren’t Counted

Extreme heat caused an estimated 50,000 or more excess deaths in European towns and cities this summer, according to two peer-reviewed studies from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The papers, due in Nature Health, cover 854 urban areas across 30 countries, home to roughly 40 percent of those populations.

About two-thirds of the deaths are attributed to climate change. The toll is roughly double that of the previous worst summers, which researchers put at about 28,000 deaths in 2003 and 29,000 in 2022. Notably, the studies do not count tourists, and one of the authors told Skift that visitors flying in from cooler climates may be poorly prepared for dangerous heat in southern and southeastern Europe.

The travel impact was visible. Paris logged 47 days above 30 degrees Celsius, the most since records began in 1947, and the Louvre and Eiffel Tower temporarily closed. Overnight stays dipped 7.2 percent during the July 7 to 13 heatwave, though international arrivals were largely unaffected.

Hotel industry body HOTREC says cooling and renovation costs are straining smaller operators, but argues it is too early to link next summer’s bookings to heat. Researchers urge heat warning systems, public cool spaces and air conditioning in public buildings. For travelers, the takeaway is to check forecasts, plan indoor midday activities and consider shoulder-season trips.

Sources: Skift