"Is it safe to travel to Europe right now?" Variables affecting European travel this summer are greater than ever, as surging airfare and hotel costs stemming from the Iran war combine with record heat waves from global warming, entry and exit delays, and concerns over infectious diseases aboard cruise ships.
According to CNN on Saturday, European hotel bookings this summer rose 37% from the same period last year, and average room rates soared by as much as 42%. The result came as global tourists flocked to Europe as an alternative destination after Middle East travel demand froze in the wake of the Iran war.
◇Airfare Turns to 'Gold' Amid Mass Flight Cancellations = The biggest factor driving up airfare is jet fuel. Jet fuel prices, which had surged to $122.50 per barrel in April, have now fallen to around $75, but they continue to push up ticket prices.
On top of this, mass flight cancellations caused by supply chain disruptions are also stranding travelers. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, about 13,000 flights worldwide were abruptly pulled from schedules during the month of May.
"Even after the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, (jet fuel) supply is still tight, but the chances of a full-blown supply crisis are not high," said Danton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst at Dow Jones Energy. "The possibility has decreased, but it can't be guaranteed. What happens if both sides flip the negotiating table and go back to square one?"
He predicted it would take about four months for supply to normalize.
◇Heat Waves Nearing 40 Degrees From May… "You Could Miss Your Flight While Scanning Fingerprints" = The record heat wave that has hit Europe is also a variable. Europe is the continent where temperatures are rising fastest due to global warming. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, all four of the hottest summers in European history have been concentrated in the past five years.
This year, temperatures across much of Western Europe soared from 35 degrees to nearly 40 degrees from late May, even before the height of summer arrived. Even London, Britain, recorded 35 degrees, breaking its record high for May. Experts agree that unusually high temperatures are very likely to recur throughout this summer.
The new entry and exit system is also a stumbling block. Under the new Entry/Exit System (EES) introduced by the European Union (EU) in April, non-EU nationals must register biometric information, including photographs and fingerprints, when entering the 29 countries in the Schengen zone.
As a result, severe bottlenecks are occurring at airports across Europe. CNN's Clarissa Ward arrived at Lisbon airport in Portugal two hours before her flight's departure last month, but the EES registration wait alone took more than an hour, causing her to ultimately miss her flight. Experts recommend arriving at the airport at least three hours before departure, even without checked baggage.
◇Norovirus Hits Cruise Ships… Respiratory Care Bills Reach $580 'Bombshell' = The risk of infectious diseases, centered on cruises, has also surfaced. Cases of mass norovirus infections have recently occurred one after another on cruises operating European and U.S. routes. In May, a cruise ship that docked in Bordeaux, France, had all passenger disembarkation fully restricted due to the spread of norovirus.
The problem is the medical costs charged when using foreign vessels or local medical facilities. They are unimaginably expensive. Matt Tieman, a cruise expert and executive, said conjunctivitis treatment aboard a ship cost $220 (about 300,000 won), an ointment prescription cost $300 (about 410,000 won), and treatment for a respiratory infection cost as much as $580 (about 800,000 won). He stressed that travel insurance is a necessity, not an option.
Concerns over infectious diseases are not limited to cruises. As in the case of tourists who died from a mass gastroenteritis infection in Cabo Verde earlier this year, the risk of infection through frequently touched surfaces—door handles, faucets, toilets and armrests in aircraft, hotels and tourist sites—lurks everywhere. Experts recommend wiping down aircraft and hotel bathrooms with disinfectant, avoiding eating fruit unless you have peeled it yourself, and brushing teeth with bottled water.
