TUI could change destinations, lengthen travel season over climate change

Tour operator TUI said on Wednesday it could see its travel season shift to start earlier in the spring and end in the autumn as climate change affects tourist habits.

Chief Executive Sebastian Ebel made the comments amid a summer that has been mired by extreme weather across southern Europe and after announcing that TUI could face up to 25 million euros ($27 million) in costs tied to wildfires in Rhodes, Greece.

That experience has prompted the firm to consider introducing insurance for its clients travelling to destinations that could be impacted by climate change-related events, like wildfires, Ebel said on a media call.

But climate change could also come with benefits for the tour operator, extending its season and opening up new destinations.

“We will go into Greece to middle of November and I actually 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 and others as tourists seek out cooler climates.

“It gives us more opportunities for growth,” he said. [Reuters]