Spain is facing losing out on millions of tourists due to a major crisis – despite being the second most visited country in the world last year.
Every year, thousands of tourists flock to Spain to discover the beautiful beaches, delicious food, and authentic culture.
However, over the last month, heatwaves have gripped many countries in Europe pushing authorities to issue health alerts for the locals and tourists.
Extreme heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent, for every degree of global warming, Spain sees 1.5 degrees, according to a report from Greenpeace.
Héctor Tejero, the Spanish Health Ministry’s head of health and climate change, warned that the “heat is killing 3,000 people a year and it’s going to get worse”.
Now Spain has been identified as one of the European countries most at risk of losing tourists as unbearable weather conditions become more frequent.
Tourist-centric Malaga, which draws visitors from all over the world, has been identified specifically as the Spanish region most at risk of excessive heat, according to a recent study by researchers in Italy, who analysed the impact of climate change on popular tourist destinations across Europe.
The study found that Spain is the second most vulnerable country in Europe to extreme heat, leading to fears many tourists to turn their backs on the country and instead head to cooler destinations.
It is estimated that around 12 percent of Spain’s tourist attractions will be affected by extreme heat stress, behind only Italy with a staggering 49 percent.
Earlier this week, the Spanish equivalent of the Met Office warned UK tourists of amber and yellow weather warnings for heavy rain, thunderstorms and even hail.
The country’s national weather agency Aemet has also predicted that ‘mud rain’ could fall.
Also featured in the report were Italy, France, and the UK – with strong gales and flooding estimated to increase in Britain.
2022 was the UK’s hottest year on record, with an average year-round temperature above 10 degrees seen for the first time.
Over the coming years, wind storms are predicted to increase by a staggering 29 percent in the UK, with Italy (14 percent), France (13 percent) and Spain (nine percent) taking second, third, and fourth spots respectively.
For every one degree rise in average temperature, the atmosphere can hold an extra seven percent more moisture. This can result in heavier rainfall, sometimes in a shorter space of time and over a smaller area.