More travelers are choosing summer vacations in the Nordic countries as southern Europe contends with successive waves of extreme heat attributed to climate change. Airlines, booking platforms, and tour operators report increased interest in destinations across Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, and Finland, driven by the search for cooler climates.

Data from online travel agent Trivago indicates a significant year-on-year rise in UK bookings for July and August, with Norway up 55 percent, Sweden 57 percent, and Denmark 29 percent. Despite this growth, traditional Mediterranean holidays remain popular among British tourists. Trivago’s chief executive, Johannes Thomas, remarked that while the overall landscape of European summer travel is not yet undergoing a fundamental shift, the popularity of cooler destinations is clearly expanding. He predicted that such trends would strengthen as climate irregularities become more common.

The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard exemplifies this growing demand for cooler getaways. Temperatures there currently range between 7°C and 12°C, attracting visitors seeking Arctic experiences. Birgitte Vegsund, destination manager at Basecamp Explorer, which offers luxury wilderness tours costing up to 100,000 Norwegian kroner ($10,370) for five days excluding flights, noted a surge in last-minute bookings, particularly from American tourists.

The heightened interest follows another year of record-breaking heat across Europe. The UK recorded a new June temperature high of 37.3°C in Suffolk, while France experienced its hottest June on record in some regions. Spain also set national temperature records, with parts exceeding 45°C.

Booking.com has observed increased global searches for Scandinavian summer vacations, particularly in Norwegian towns like Tromsø and Reine, and Swedish cities including Malmö and Lund. UK tour operator Jet2 reported nearly tripling its capacity on routes such as London to Bergen since 2024 and noted significant growth in its Iceland programme.

Local tourism operators are responding to the trend. Eleven Deplar Farm, a remote 13-room lodge on Iceland’s Troll Peninsula, recorded nearly a 30 percent occupancy increase from June to September compared with the previous year, accompanied by longer visitor stays. Ian Wick, managing director of Eleven, described the “coolcation” movement as both real and accelerating.

Norwegian travel company Hurtigruten, which runs coastal cruises with stops at 34 small harbors along the Norwegian coastline, expects guest numbers to rise by more than 15 percent in 2026 compared with last year, with bookings for 2027 up over 35 percent at the same point last year. Hurtigruten’s chief executive, Hedda Felin, emphasized the Nordic region’s appeal as a stable and safe travel destination amid global uncertainties.

In Sweden’s Jukkasjärvi, located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, the Icehotel offers a unique experience where guests can sleep in rooms maintained below zero Celsius during summer. CEO Marie Herrey said the demand is growing, particularly among travelers from the US and UK, for this combined “sleepcation” and “coolcation” experience, where visitors alternate between cold rooms and warm cabins, enjoying sauna facilities and the midnight sun.

However, some experts caution that the Nordic countries could face challenges similar to those seen in Europe’s overcrowded tourist areas, including insufficient infrastructure to manage increased visitor numbers. Critics also point out that while interest in cooler destinations is rising, many holidaymakers continue to prioritize traditional warm-weather locations. According to Jim Eastwood, UK chief executive at Travel Counsellors, although recent heatwaves have sparked more discussions about Nordic travel, the majority of customers still prefer their long-anticipated summer trips to southern Europe, citing destinations like the Algarve in Portugal as examples of sustained popularity.