Greece temporarily shuts Acropolis due to heat wave
European capital warned ‘so hot’ for tourists it may be unsuitable to visit
These are the headlines emerging from Europe as anomalous heat waves spread across the continent.
As of July 2025, Western Europe has reported surface air temperatures 2.81°C warmer than average. Needless to say, this rise in temperature has had a knock-on effect on the European tourism industry.
The World is Getting Warmer and Warmer
Unfortunately, news about hot weather in the summer has become a new normal for Europe. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated back in 2024, “Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.”
For a continent that has historically never experienced such extreme warm temperatures, heat waves have become a particularly concerning trend among the populace.
A model from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has estimated that 263 people have already died from the extreme heat in London, United Kingdom, with a 4°C rise in temperature this summer.
Scientists have sounded the alarm that European infrastructure is not equipped to handle this level of warm weather, and are particularly concerned with the well-being of schools and hospitals.
European Tourism at Risk
While headlines may be sensational, they highlight an alarming need to consider the economic pressure warmer weather is putting on the tourism industry.
Heat waves are not the only concern for the European tourism sector. Overtourism has been a contentious issue in many European countries over the past decade. In June, a coordinated multinational protest against overtourism occurred in Mediterranean states. The strain of overtourism on local services will now have to reckon with the additional pressure of heat-related illnesses.
Additionally, the current global cost-of-living crisis, which is periodically ignited by tariff threats and regional instability as currently seen in the Middle East, will also likely make tourism less affordable in the coming years.
For states like Portugal, where an estimated 1 in 4 jobs are related to the tourism sector and the tourism industry is expected to contribute 21.5% of GDP in 2025, the increasing prominence of heat waves combined with other concerns will open up new challenges that can very much affect the economic health of their nation.
However, while the outlook for the tourism industry’s health is concerning, the entire sector is unlikely to experience a major collapse anytime soon. The European Travel Commission has noted that Europe’s tourism industry remained steady in Q2 of 2025. In fact, concerns about overtourism are already being balanced by the diversion of tourists towards lesser-known, competitively priced travel destinations. Additionally, changing travel patterns have shown that tourists are now avoiding peak heat through rising off-season travel demands.
Diplomatic Network (Asia) advises all tourists to check for recommendations and regulations provided by their destination’s tourism board regarding health and travel safety.
