Travel Megatrends 2018: Extreme Weather Creates Travel Upheaval
Photo Caption: After a year full of disruptions related to extreme weather, the travel industry must prepare for more in the near future — as well as the long-term impacts of climate change. Bing Qing Ye
Skift Take
Extreme weather is the new normal. It’s changing destinations for the worse, and it’s not going to get better any time soon.
Skift Megatrends 2018
In January 2018 released our annual travel industry trends forecast, Skift Megatrends 2018. You can read about each of the trends on Skift, or download a copy of our magazine here.With recent climate change data pointing to violent storms and warmer temperatures becoming more regular, airlines, hotels, and especially tourism boards must reconsider both their short- and long-term planning.
It’s no secret that millions of tourists traveling each year often do more harm than good for the planet. Consider water waste, the garbage tourists leave behind, and the greenhouse gas emissions generated by traveling to destinations — especially by air.
In the U.S. and Caribbean, the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the loudest climate wake-up calls the travel industry has had in years, especially following a 12-year stretch without a major hurricane making landfall in the United States.
Recent storms like Irma and Maria brought entire islands including Barbuda and Puerto Rico to their knees, and for many western travel companies, the harsh realities of climate change suddenly felt much closer to home and brought new lessons on h
