A major Australian travel company has axed tours to popular European spots over concerns of extreme weather caused by climate disruption, in the wake of severe heat and wildfires.
Intrepid Travel made the call to move its European tours away from the peak season during the continent’s summer and redesign when the trips are organised for climate resilience.
More than half (55 per cent) of Intrepid’s Europe-bound travellers are booking outside of the traditional summer window for the first time this year in favour of the shoulder season (April, May, September).
The peak-season (June, July, August) departures to the Iberian Peninsula, which includes countries such as Spain and Portugal, have also been cut.
“I thought we had five to ten years before this trend hit the mainstream, but climate change has accelerated everything,” Intrepid Travel’s Australian and New Zealand managing director Brett Mitchell told news.com.au.
“Heatwaves, wildfires, and overtourism aren’t isolated incidents anymore – they’re central to the travel experience of a European summer.
“Enticed by fewer crowds, lower costs and cooler climates, we’re seeing travellers discover the benefits of visiting popular destinations outside of peak season.”
Two years ago, the CEO of the Melbourne-based travel company predicted Aussies would choose to travel to Europe outside the peak seasons within the next five to ten years, but now this prediction has arrived sooner than expected.
Extreme weather events in previous European summers have sparked concern over travelling during the period, with 34 climate-related events affecting Intrepid trips in 2024 alone.
Last year was the warmest year on record for Europe with central, eastern and southeastern regions of the continent notching record temperatures.
Severe heat in 2025 has already sparked a heatwave warning from the World Health Organisation for southern Europe including countries such as Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees.
The WHO’s technical officer for climate change and health, Marisol Yglesias Gonzalez said it’s no longer a question of if there will be a heatwave, but rather how many there will be and how long they will last.
A WHO expert also urged for more to be done, in order to stop tens of thousands of “unnecessary and largely preventable deaths”.
In 2023, more than 47,000 deaths were counted in Europe as being caused by heat.
Late last month, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres posted on X that extreme heat was “no longer a rare event” and had become the “new normal”.
“The planet is getting hotter and more dangerous – no country is immune.”
