How Extreme Weather Is Shaping Travel Plans
Only a third of travelers actively avoided destinations due to extreme weather. But many are opting for flexible bookings, safer seasons, or backup plans rather than canceling trips entirely.
Global warming surged to alarming new highs in 2024: The World Meteorological Organization reported that 2024 was the warmest year ever recorded, with temperatures approximately 1.55°C above pre‑industrial levels.
Skift Research surveyed U.S. travelers to learn how weather-related events are affecting their travel choices.
Our survey reveals that most are not yet significantly altering their plans in response to climate risks: Only 34% reported avoiding destinations due to extreme weather, and another 21% considered it.
In addition, 40% were unconcerned and 24% took no specific precautions. That suggests that climate concerns are still secondary for many travelers — and could also suggest a clear divide in risk perception.
Among those who are adapting, popular strategies include choosing more climate-stable destinations, traveling in shoulder seasons, and booking flexible or refundable travel. This behavior indicates a growing, but not yet dominant, awareness of climate-related travel risks.
It also points to a form of passive risk management: instead of changing destinations or timing upfront, travelers are relying on reactive measures — such as cancellations, refunds, or insurance claims — if disruptions do occur.
In other words, climate isn't necessarily deterring travel, but it is shaping how people prepare for uncertainty.
One particularly telling shift is the increased preference for shoulder season travel. With 31% of respondents adjusting the timing of their trips to avoid weather extremes, this reflects a more thoughtful, balanced approach — travelers are not abandoning their plans, but they are choosing windows that offer more stable conditions, fewer disruptions, and greater peace of mind.
It's a sign that while climate may not yet dominate travel decisions, it's quietly reshaping when and how people move.
Skift's in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift's editorial team.
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