Greece and Portugal Lead Mediterranean in Climate Resilience

Greece and Portugal were found to be the most resilient Mediterranean destinations to global warming, according to the “Climate Perception Index” (CPI) released recently by global travel intelligence provider Mabrian.

Despite the summer heat and the devastating fires last year, Greece received 88.8 points out of 100 and a stable climate perception throughout the summer on the index which analyzed five Mediterranean countries – Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Portugal – in 2023 and examined how climate change is influencing travelers’ decisions, booking, recommendation habits, and destination reputation.

Portugal topped the CPI with 90.8 points, while Turkey showed a notable improvement during peak summer months marking a 14-point rise and fast approaching Greece and Portugal levels.

Source: Mabrian

On the downside, Spain (down to 83.4 points from 90.8) and Italy (down to 87.4 from 90.5) experienced significant drops in their CPI, with Spain showing the most variability and sharp declines in July and August. This was particularly notable among sensitive source markets such as France, the UK, and the US.

Most sensitive to climate change impacts were France, the UK, and the US, while Nordic countries and Italy showed less sensitivity.

Source: Mabrian

The findings underscore the importance of aligning promotional strategies with climate data to meet traveler expectations and maintain destination appeal.

Commenting on the findings, Mabrian Chief Marketing Officer Carlos Cendra Cruz stressed the need for destinations to monitor the impact of climate change and to adapt by leveraging data intelligence for strategic decisions, tourism product adaptation, infrastructure planning, and promotional efforts.

“Climate change concern is an increasingly relevant social and travel trend, and is strategic to understand, based on data intelligence, how is influencing travellers’ decisions, booking and, above all, recommendation habits,” Cruz said.