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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Will it be Sardinia or Iceland this August?
Cold, dark winter days in January often spur northern Europeans to book their summer holidays in advance. This year, tourism will return to pre-pandemic levels, UNWTO.org/news/international-tourism-to-reach-pre-pandemic-levels-in-2024″ data-trackable=”link”>says the UN World Tourism Organization. But even as numbers climb, tour operators are facing the longer-term threat of climate-related weather events.
Intense heatwaves in southern Europe that regularly top 40C and wildfires such as those that raged in Greece last year are starting to affect holiday-maker plans, says the European Travel Commission. Tour operators and hotel owners will be aware of stranded asset risk if tourists shun popular destinations in the southern Mediterranean. Operator valuations remain depressed compared with pre-pandemic levels.
