Majority of Aussies Fear Extreme Weather Will Disrupt their Summer Travel Plans

 

A new Climate Council survey reveals that Aussies are changing their summer travel and adventure plans due to fear around extreme weather.

Due to climate pollution, our weather is becoming more unpredictable and our Aussie summers of camping and multi-day hiking are threatened. An Essential Research survey for the Climate Council has found that 61% of Australians are concerned that extreme weather will disrupt their summer holiday plans. In response, people are opting for coastal destinations over inland bush regions or waiting to travel in cooler months.

Aussies are Avoiding the Bush in Summer

A poll of 1,200 nationally representative Australians was taken and the results found:

• 61% of participants with holiday plans are concerned they’ll be interrupted by extreme weather events
• People aged 18-34 are the most worried about unnatural disasters and are either very or somewhat concerned about disruptions to their travel plans
• Camping in the bush is seen as the most at-risk holiday activity (54%), followed by trips to remote areas (41%)
• 54% believe regional economies will suffer if tourists avoid these destinations due to climate concerns

People are worried about natural disasters and changing their travelling behaviour | Photo by Ivan Sajko

How Climate Change is Impacting Our Holidays

Climate Councillor Professor Lesley Hughes said, ‘Worsening extreme weather events, caused by burning coal, oil, and gas, are threatening our treasured holiday plans and endangering our way of life’.

We need to reduce climate pollution in the next decade to avoid further holiday disruption | Photo by Li an Lim on Unsplash

We’re seeing more natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, storms, and heatwaves frequently turn unnatural in their scale and ferocity. In fact, the 2024-2025 summer forecast predicts a hot, wet season with high rainfall in parts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and other regions, alongside potential tropical cyclones and fire hot spots.

With our weather patterns becoming less predictable, Hughes says it’s ‘harder to know where the safest, least impacted place will be for a family holiday’.

Hughes urges everyone to be prepared for anything, as our warming oceans have caused weather patterns to be less predictable.

‘To avoid even greater summer holiday disruption in the future, it’s critical we slash climate pollution this decade’, Hughes says.

Feature photo by Anouk Berney