According to TUI’s CEO, heatwaves and climate change may cause consumers to take their vacations in the spring or autumn and prefer cooler areas.

According to Sebastian Ebel, CEO of the tour company, holidaymakers may choose to visit Greece in November, boosting the tourism business.

He suggested that destinations like the Belgian or Polish coasts could become increasingly popular.

TUI reported that the wildfires in Rhodes in July cost the company €25 million (£21.5 million).

TUI reported that 8,000 of its customers were evacuated off the Greek island. However, the German business stated that 80% of its island tourists were unaffected.

Mr Ebel stated the climate was “not as described” and that he traveled to Rhodes on “the first day” of the fires commencing and was “surprised” by the lack of visibility of the fire.

When wildfires erupted in Rhodes and other parts of Greece, more than 20,000 people were evacuated, and thousands of British tourists were taken home.

Some described the feeling as “being thrown into a disaster film.” After wildfires rendered some holiday resorts untenable, people were forced to sleep in schools and sports centers while waiting for flights home.

TUI stated that the events had only had a short-term impact on demand, with bookings for last week 5% higher than the same period last year, in keeping with a general resurgence in vacation bookings following the pandemic.

However, the wildfires cost the company €25 million in cancellations, compensation, repatriation flights, and welfare charges.

According to TUI, the event demonstrated that arranging a package holiday with an operator provided “great advantages and comprehensive service in extraordinary situations.”

Mr. Ebel stated that the company planned to expand the number of locations it provided in order to prevent similar risks in the future.