British travellers are booking holidays to cooler climates as heatwaves rage across much of Europe, according to data from leading travel analysts.
Kayak, a travel search engine, said that flight searches to cooler domestic and international destinations are “climbing sharply” year-on-year.
Summer searches for destinations such as Ottawa, Canada, have increased by 166 per cent compared to 2025 figures.
Salzburg in Austria saw a rise of 92 per cent alongside Aberdeen (+25 per cent) and Glasgow (+24 per cent) closer to home.
Intense temperatures have been recorded in the UK since May, with 2026 the first year on record to reach 35C in May, June and July, according to the Met Office.
Kayak data also showed a “modest” fall in searches to Alicante (-1 per cent), Lisbon (-14 per cent) and Athens (-19 per cent).
Rachel Mumford, UK travel expert at Kayak, said: “After three heatwaves already this summer, it’s no surprise many Brits are rethinking what a summer getaway looks like. We’re seeing signs of a shift in our data towards coolcations – swapping scorching beaches for milder escapes, both further afield and closer to home.
“It’s not just about avoiding the heat – it’s about finding a different kind of summer break altogether, whether that’s hiking in the Highlands or a beach with a cooler breeze in Cork.”
New data from Staysure also recorded a 24 per cent rise in travel insurance policy sales for trips to Norway in the first half of 2026 – a rise from tenth to seventh place in the company’s destination ranking.
Iceland policy sales similarly increased by 18 per cent, said Staysure.
The UK travel insurance provider compared travel insurance policies bought between 1 January and 30 June 2026 with the same period in 2025 to determine the latest travel trend.
According to a Staysure survey of 2,000 UK travellers, 58 per cent said that they would be likely to choose a cooler destination less exposed to extreme heat for holidays this summer.
Around 43 per cent said that extreme heat has already changed how they think about planning or booking holidays, with 22 per cent of people saying they would be more likely to take a UK staycation to avoid overseas disruption.
Simon McCulloch, chief growth officer at Staysure, said: “Heat is making people think more carefully about where and when they travel, and what they check before paying. Look at typical temperatures, air conditioning and flexible booking terms, and check your travel insurance wording before changing plans. Extreme heat alone does not automatically mean a trip can be cancelled at no cost.”
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