InsureandGo research: holiday makers predict impact of rising sea levels on top holiday destinations

LONDON, May 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national poll of 2,000 adults by travel insurer InsureandGo.com reveals that 62% of UK holiday makers think one or more popular holiday destinations will be under water by 2050 – as a direct result of the climate emergency and its impact on rising water levels.

Of those that acknowledged the risks of rising sea levels, Venice was viewed by most people to be underwater by 2050 (48%) – closely followed by the Maldives (36%), Florida Keys (28%) and the Seychelles (23%). Some also viewed premium holiday destinations such as Bahamas (17%) and Barbados (13%) as being at risk.

The prospect of rising sea levels was also seen to be a risk much closer to home in Europe - with Amsterdam (18%) and London (14%) seen to be at serious risk.

By age group, young people were most likely to take seriously the impact of rising sea levels – peaking at 72% among the under 25s. People that viewed the climate emergency as the top issue to tackle were also most likely to name holiday destinations that would be under water by 2050 (71%) – but even those that didn't rate the climate crisis as a priority issue also recognised the threat of rising seas levels on tourism (56%).

Chris Rolland, CEO at InsureandGo commented: "Last summer we all experienced the impact of soaring summer temperatures, which resulted in 71% of UK holidaymakers considering parts of Europe that might be too hot to visit within the next decade. Another consequence of climate change is the impact on rising sea levels. We are all aware of the ongoing challenges Venice has been through to keep the city above water - and our study suggests many other top tourist hotspots could face similar challenges in the years ahead. The combined prospect of extreme weather and rising sea levels does threaten to change the world map for holiday makers.

"Though the picture may seem worrying now, there is hope that these predictions will not come to fruition if we can get a collective handle on climate change by sticking to net zero targets and reducing our overall consumption. Every effort in the right direction has the potential to make a big difference but there is still a lot to be done."