‘Coolcationers’ flock to Denmark, seeking relief from broiling weather

Tourists fleeing record heat waves in Tunisia, Italy, France and Spain are flocking to Denmark, where a 68-degree August morning counts as pleasant rather than punishing. Denmark itself hit a record 98.6 F in June, but visitors interviewed in Copenhagen still called the climate a relief compared to home.

Statistics Denmark recorded about 66 million tourist overnight stays in 2025, a record, with July 2026 bookings already up 5.3% year over year according to the Danish Chamber of Commerce. A 2023 European Commission study projected rising tourism demand in northern Europe and falling interest in the south as the pattern researchers have dubbed 'coolcation' takes hold.

Aalborg University researcher Carina Ren said projections suggest more northern-region tourism growth is coming, driven partly by climate change reshaping decades-old travel patterns, though she cautioned the trend's causes remain debated. Arctic Circle destinations have also seen sharp tourism growth as cooler temperatures become, in her words, an increasingly rare commodity.

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