Under water by 2050: Scottish holidaymakers fear impact of climate change on holiday hotspots by the sea
Climate change isn’t just about the heat; it’s also impacting on rising sea levels – which would also impact holiday choices in the future. A new national poll of 2,000 adults by travel insurance provider InsureandGo reveals that 70% of Scottish holidaymakers 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 (up from 65% in 2023).
Everyone knows the issues with Venice and rising sea levels, but people are increasingly concerned that the struggles faced by the floating city will soon be faced by the Maldives, Florida Keys, The Seychelles and Amsterdam – with rising sea levels, putting top holiday destinations at risk.
Of those Scottish holidaymakers that were worried about climate emergency and its impact on rising water levels, the top 10 places they feared would be underwater by 2050 included:
Under water by 2050
| Venice | 68% |
| The Maldives | 20% |
| Florida Keys | 24% |
| Amsterdam | 23% |
| Seychelles | 20% |
| New Orleans | 19% |
| London | 14% |
| The Bahamas | 10% |
| Bangkok | 9% |
| Barbados | 9% |
The under 35s were the age group most likely to fear the prospect of one or more popular holiday destinations being under water by 2050 (rising from 66% to 83% in just two years).
The InsureandGo research highlights a correlation between people worrying about this issue and sustainability now becoming a bigger priority in shaping their overall holiday planning. Overall, 83% of people that say sustainability is now a priority when planning a holiday cite concern over the possibility of popular holiday destinations being underwater by 2050.
In addition to concern over the impact of climate change on rising sea levels, Scottish holidaymakers are also concerned about the prospect of extreme heat effectively ruling out some countries for overseas summer holidays in the years ahead. Across Scotland, 77% of adults feared some countries would be too hot to visit in five years’ time.
Too hot to visit in the next five years
| Spain | 41% |
| Turkey | 38% |
| Greece | 38% |
| Cyprus | 30% |
| Italy | 25% |
| Portugal | 23% |
| Malta | 22% |
| Croatia | 8% |
| Bulgaria | 8% |
| France | 7% |
Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at InsureandGo commented: “In recent summers we have all experienced the impact of soaring summer temperatures, which this summer has resulted in many Scottish holidaymakers fearing parts of Europe that might be too hot to visit within the next five years. 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 could change the world map for holiday makers.
“Though the picture may seem worrying now, that is why it is so important to get a collective handle on climate change and all take small, practical steps to be friendly to the environment with our holiday planning. At InsureandGo, we want to help people go abroad without the doubt.
"Thinking about extreme heat, extreme weather and rising sea levels this year, we would encourage Scottish holidaymakers to do their destination research before they fly off this summer - and also to check what their travel insurance covers in terms of cancellation and medical cover for those that are travelling with pre-existing conditions.”