Kiwis' travel to Europe alters over climate change, insurers' $25,000 flood payout as claims rise
In Athens, his group managed to visit the Acropolis the day before the ruins were partially shut over extreme temperatures.
When the heat was at its worst, people would stay indoors or 'stick to the shade as much as possible' throughout the day – although after 6pm, the streets filled back up again.
Intrepid Travel, which sees more New Zealanders join its tours per capita than any other country, has made a significant operational shift in response to travellers' concerns.
David (right), a Kiwi currently travelling through Europe, said the extreme heat has "felt like being in an oven". Photo / Supplied
Intrepid's Australia and New Zealand managing director Brett Mitchell said it's now 'evolving how and when we run' Europe tours, moving some to the Iberian Peninsula out of peak season (June to August) and into April, May and September.
The company has also made itinerary tweaks, like visiting attractions earlier or later 'when it's cooler and less crowded'.
'For the first time, over half (55%) of our travellers to Southern Europe are booking in the shoulder seasons,' Mitchell said.
'Destinations like Italy, Spain and Portugal are still incredibly popular, but we're seeing demand shift to spring and autumn when it's cooler and less crowded.'
June 2025 was Western Europe's hottest on record, with temperatures exceeding 40C in some cities.
Fires have ravaged Greece, North Macedonia and other parts of the Balkans this month as extreme heat continued to roast the region.
Intrepid Travel is shifting some European tours to spring and autumn due to extreme heat and overtourism concerns. Photo / AFP
David, who is now in Albania, said they could 'see the wildfires on the hills' and 'firefighters tending to [the flames]' during a coastal drive.
Temperatures have since dropped to about 30C, and with the ability to swim at the beach, the heat wasn't as unbearable as it was in Athens.
'Everyone goes for 'Euro summer', you expect it'll be hot ... you still have fun.'
Insurers are also witnessing the consequences of climate-related disruption play out through rising claims.
'We're definitely seeing increases,' said Allianz New Zealand managing director Kevin Blyth.
'Those one-in-100-year floods are becoming far more prominent and far more prevalent than once in 100 years.'
Smoke and flames rise from a wildfire near Athens on July 26. Photo / Getty Images
Jess Strange, SCTI's chief customer officer, said it 'certainly feels like' travellers are making more climate-related claims.
The company paid out over $593,000 across 425 claims related to cyclones, fires, floods, heatwaves, storms and turbulence between July 2024 and July 2025.
One family claimed over $25,000 in accommodation and airfare costs after their flights from Tokyo were cancelled when the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods closed Auckland Airport.
Strange said the earliest flights available for the family were two weeks later via Kuala Lumpur.
'Then, bad luck struck again with that flight cancelled due to Cyclone Gabrielle.'
They managed to return to Auckland on February 17 – three weeks later than originally planned.
Bookings to Italy during shoulder seasons are up 16% in one year. Photo / Intrepid Travel
The increasing frequency of such events is making travellers more cautious, and engaging them more with their insurance policies, Strange said.
'There's significant media coverage – traditional and social – and our customers are experiencing extreme weather events firsthand.'
House of Travel chief executive David Coombes said how Kiwis book Europe travel is changing fast.
'Our early September bookings are 141% higher than mid-July and the first week of September will be our busiest week for customer departures to Europe this year.'
Cooler and less crowded destinations are also seeing a surge in bookings, and Intrepid has opened its first Northern Europe office in Copenhagen to manage the influx.
'Between June and August, we've seen strong growth in Norway, Estonia, Lithuania and Iceland,' Mitchell said.
Intrepid's Australia and New Zealand managing director Brett Mitchell said it's important we don't stop travelling to European destinations. Photo / Supplied
'For travellers from ANZ alone, Iceland bookings are up 46% year-on-year for those months, with Serbia (+27%), Estonia (+20%) and Bosnia & Herzegovina (+18%) also climbing.'
Mitchell said bookings to Italy in the shoulder seasons alone have risen 16% in the past year.
'This shift spreads tourism more evenly across the year, which is better for our travellers and better for local communities.'
With weather-related disruptions affecting everything from flight paths to cruise itineraries, insurance providers are encouraging customers to think ahead.
'Every insurance policy is different,' Coombes said.
'Many policies won't cover you if you choose not to travel due to adverse weather, or if there were warnings or advisories in place before you left New Zealand.'
But rather than cancelling tours or discouraging travel to affected destinations, Intrepid wants to build a tourism model that works with a changing climate.
'We believe the most important thing we can do is not stop travelling to these places, rather adjust the way that we travel to ensure the best possible traveller experience.
'For us, this means small group, locally-led visitation that works in concert with the people and places that we visit.'
As extreme weather becomes more prevalent worldwide, Mitchell said they expect climate-related questions will inevitably 'play a greater role in travel planning going forward'.
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
Love Taupō Supports New Visitor Charges
Press Release – Destination Great Lake Taupo Love Taup General Manager Patrick Dault believes the extra funding provided will deliver positive results for regional tourism for both visitors and locals. Love Taupō supports the Government's announcement of a plan to charge overseas visitors for the privilege of visiting some of New Zealand's most iconic and popular conservation areas. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of four high-visit conservation locations featured in the initial scheme. Revenue gathered by these visitor charges will go back into Department of Conservation work at the same locations. Love Taupō General Manager Patrick Dault believes the extra funding provided will deliver positive results for regional tourism for both visitors and locals. 'More money to sustainably manage our treasured conservation estate is a positive for every Kiwi because we all get to benefit from a safe and healthy environment,' Dault says. 'Any investment in improving and developing new infrastructure on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing should be good news for both visitors and local communities as it will ultimately offer an enhanced experience.' 'A large proportion of our international visitors visit the region for the purpose of exploring the Unesco World Heritage Park and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing remains one of the destination drivers.' adds Dault. 'This aligns perfectly with Te Ihirangi — the Taupō Regional Destination Management Plan, a common vision for a more regenerative approach to tourism. It puts people and place, communities and the environment first, ensuring tourism adds true value to the destination.' The watchout for the tourism sector, he said, would always be the challenge of keeping costs within the reach of visitors. While a small extra charge might not be much for some market segments, it could represent a deterrent for a different group. The Government is looking initially at applying charges to four locations: Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, the Milford Track and Aoraki/Mount Cook. Foreign visitors account for up to 80% of visitors to these places. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the charges would range from $20 to $40 per person, with the goal of raising up to $62 million per year to be reinvested directly into those same areas. Entry for New Zealanders would remain free. Up to 105,000 visitors used some, or all, of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in the 2023/24 season (1 October 2023 to 8 April 2024), according to the Department of Conservation. Booking data shows that 80% were international visitors. Up to 1500 to 2000 people visited the track on the busiest days.*
Otago Daily Times
16 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Plan to charge foreign tourists welcomed
A plan to charge international visitors access to Milford Sound will raise revenue for an underfunded national park, one tourism operator says. At the National Party conference at the weekend, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka announced international visitors would need to pay a fee to access Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Tongariro Crossing, Milford Sound and Aoraki/Mount Cook. About 80% of people who visit these attractions are overseas tourists. Mr Potaka said tourists made a big contribution to the economy which no-one wanted to change. However, many of his friends visiting from overseas were shocked they could visit some of the most beautiful places in the world for free, he said. "It's only fair that at these special locations, foreign visitors make an additional contribution of between $20 and $40 per person." It was expected the scheme could raise up to $62 million a year which would be re-invested back into the same areas, he said. New Zealanders will still have free access. Ultimate Hikes operates a guided walk business on the Milford and Routeburn tracks. General manager Noel Saxon said he was supportive of the proposed fee as he was aware how underfunded the national parks were. It made a lot of sense for the money raised at Milford Sound to be used in the running costs of the Fiordland National Park, he said. In national parks overseas, people paid to enter, he said. At this stage he was unsure how the proposed fees would affect the company as it already paid a concession to use the tracks. The Milford Track ended at Milford Sound so it was possible the company would have to pay more, he said. Fiordland Community Board chairwoman Diane Holmes said the Milford Opportunities Project consulted the community about charging tourists to access Fiordland National Park. She believed the new fee had community support. During the consultation, fees as high as $115 had been suggested but charging a lower fee was "much fairer". Other countries charged for access to similar attractions, she said. It was good the money would return to the conservation estate as the Department of Conservation spent a lot of time and money making sure the tracks were clear and the facilities clean, she said. Amber Court Motel owner Aaron Liu said he was not in favour of charging people a fee to visit the sound. "For me it's too much." Visitors already had to pay a $10 an hour fee to park there, he said. Mr Luxon also announced changes to the concession laws which allow businesses to operate on conservation land. "The concessions regime is totally broken, often taking years to obtain or renew and leaving businesses in a cycle of bureaucratic limbo," he said. Southland MP Joseph Mooney said fixing the concession laws would support Southland's tourism sector, grow the region's economy and create more jobs. The present system was stopping Southlanders from making the most of the land and opportunities around them, he said.
Otago Daily Times
20 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Plan to charge foreign tourists for access to key sites welcomed
A plan to charge international visitors access to Milford Sound will raise revenue for an underfunded national park, one tourism operator says. At the National Party conference at the weekend, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka announced international visitors would need to pay a fee to access Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Tongariro Crossing, Milford Sound and Aoraki/Mount Cook. About 80% of people who visit these attractions are overseas tourists. Mr Potaka said tourists made a big contribution to the economy which no-one wanted to change. However, many of his friends visiting from overseas were shocked they could visit some of the most beautiful places in the world for free, he said. "It's only fair that at these special locations, foreign visitors make an additional contribution of between $20 and $40 per person." It was expected the scheme could raise up to $62million a year which would be re-invested back into the same areas, he said. New Zealanders will still have free access. Ultimate Hikes operates a guided walk business on the Milford and Routeburn tracks. General manager Noel Saxon said he was supportive of the proposed fee as he was aware how underfunded the national parks were. It made a lot of sense for the money raised at Milford Sound to be used in the running costs of the Fiordland National Park, he said. In national parks overseas, people paid to enter, he said. At this stage he was unsure how the proposed fees would affect the company as it already paid a concession to use the tracks. The Milford Track ended at Milford Sound so it was possible the company would have to pay more, he said. Fiordland Community Board chairwoman Diane Holmes said the Milford Opportunities Project consulted the community about charging tourists to access Fiordland National Park. She believed the new fee had community support. During the consultation, fees as high as $115 had been suggested but charging a lower fee was "much fairer". Other countries charged for access to similar attractions, she said. It was good the money would return to the conservation estate as the Department of Conservation spent a lot of time and money making sure the tracks were clear and the facilities clean, she said. Amber Court Motel owner Aaron Liu said he was not in favour of charging people a fee to visit the sound. "For me it's too much." Visitors already had to pay a $10 an hour fee to park there, he said. Mr Luxon also announced changes to the concession laws which allow businesses to operate on conservation land. "The concessions regime is totally broken, often taking years to obtain or renew and leaving businesses in a cycle of bureaucratic limbo," he said. Southland MP Joseph Mooney said fixing the concession laws would support Southland's tourism sector, grow the region's economy and create more jobs. The present system was stopping Southlanders from making the most of the land and opportunities around them, he said.
