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A global travel company with operations in New Zealand says it will move some Europe tours out of peak season, as Kiwis try to avoid increasingly dangerous and disruptive weather in the continent.

Data from Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) shows nearly three in four New Zealanders think travel insurance has grown more important because of climate change.

And the insurer said one family claimed more than $25,000 in accommodation and airfare costs after their flights from Tokyo were cancelled when the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods closed Auckland Airport.

As a result of the increased concern, Intrepid Travel, which sees more New Zealanders join its tours per capita than any other country, has made a significant operational shift in response to travellers’ concerns.

Popular destinations like Italy, Spain and Portugal are no longer summer hotspots, with tourists increasingly opting to travel to those locations in spring instead.

David, a Kiwi currently travelling through Southern Europe, said being outside during Greece’s most recent heatwave “felt like being in an oven”.

In Athens, his group managed to visit the Acropolis the day before the ruins were partially shut over extreme temperatures.

When the heat was at its worst, people would stay indoors or “stick to the shade as much as possible” throughout the day – although after 6pm, the streets filled back up again.

Intrepid Travel, which sees more New Zealanders join its tours per capita than any other country, has made a significant operational shift in response to travellers’ concerns.

David (right), a Kiwi currently travelling through Europe, said the extreme heat has "felt like being in an oven". Photo / Supplied

Intrepid’s Australia and New Zealand managing director Brett Mitchell said it’s now “evolving how and when we run” Europe tours, moving some to the Iberian Peninsula out of peak season (June to August) and into April, May and September.

The company has also made itinerary tweaks, like visiting attractions earlier or later ”when it’s cooler and less crowded”.

“For the first time, over half (55%) of our travellers to Southern Europe are booking in the shoulder seasons,“ Mitchell said.

“Destinations like Italy, Spain and Portugal are still incredibly popular, but we’re seeing demand shift to spring and autumn when it’s cooler and less crowded.”

June 2025 was Western Europe’s hottest on record, with temperatures exceeding 40C in some cities.

Fires have ravaged Greece, North Macedonia and other parts of the Balkans this month as extreme heat continued to roast the region.

Intrepid Travel is shifting some European tours to spring and autumn due to extreme heat and overtourism concerns. Photo / AFP

David, who is now in Albania, said they could “see the wildfires on the hills” and “firefighters tending to [the flames]” during a coastal drive.

Temperatures have since dropped to about 30C, and with the ability to swim at the beach, the heat wasn’t as unbearable as it was in Athens.

“Everyone goes for ‘Euro summer’, you expect it’ll be hot ... you still have fun.”

Insurers are also witnessing the consequences of climate-related disruption play out through rising claims.

“We’re definitely seeing increases,” said Allianz New Zealand managing director Kevin Blyth.

“Those one-in-100-year floods are becoming far more prominent and far more prevalent than once in 100 years.”

Smoke and flames rise from a wildfire near Athens on July 26. Photo / Getty Images

Jess Strange, SCTI’s chief customer officer, said it “certainly feels like” travellers are making more climate-related claims.

The company paid out over $593,000 across 425 claims related to cyclones, fires, floods, heatwaves, storms and turbulence between July 2024 and July 2025.

One family claimed over $25,000 in accommodation and airfare costs after their flights from Tokyo were cancelled when the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods closed Auckland Airport.

Strange said the earliest flights available for the family were two weeks later via Kuala Lumpur.

“Then, bad luck struck again with that flight cancelled due to Cyclone Gabrielle.”

They managed to return to Auckland on February 17 – three weeks later than originally planned.

Bookings to Italy during shoulder seasons are up 16% in one year. Photo / Intrepid Travel

The increasing frequency of such events is making travellers more cautious, and engaging them more with their insurance policies, Strange said.

“There’s significant media coverage – traditional and social – and our customers are experiencing extreme weather events firsthand.”

House of Travel chief executive David Coombes said how Kiwis book Europe travel is changing fast.

“Our early September bookings are 141% higher than mid-July and the first week of September will be our busiest week for customer departures to Europe this year.”

Cooler and less crowded destinations are also seeing a surge in bookings, and Intrepid has opened its first Northern Europe office in Copenhagen to manage the influx.

“Between June and August, we’ve seen strong growth in Norway, Estonia, Lithuania and Iceland,” Mitchell said.

Intrepid’s Australia and New Zealand managing director Brett Mitchell said it’s important we don’t stop travelling to European destinations. Photo / Supplied

“For travellers from ANZ alone, Iceland bookings are up 46% year-on-year for those months, with Serbia (+27%), Estonia (+20%) and Bosnia & Herzegovina (+18%) also climbing.”

Mitchell said bookings to Italy in the shoulder seasons alone have risen 16% in the past year.

“This shift spreads tourism more evenly across the year, which is better for our travellers and better for local communities.”

With weather-related disruptions affecting everything from flight paths to cruise itineraries, insurance providers are encouraging customers to think ahead.

“Every insurance policy is different,” Coombes said.

“Many policies won’t cover you if you choose not to travel due to adverse weather, or if there were warnings or advisories in place before you left New Zealand.”

But rather than cancelling tours or discouraging travel to affected destinations, Intrepid wants to build a tourism model that works with a changing climate.

“We believe the most important thing we can do is not stop travelling to these places, rather adjust the way that we travel to ensure the best possible traveller experience.

“For us, this means small group, locally-led visitation that works in concert with the people and places that we visit.”

As extreme weather becomes more prevalent worldwide, Mitchell said they expect climate-related questions will inevitably “play a greater role in travel planning going forward”.

Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.