We are always on the lookout for the next coolest thing, right? Well… that actually seems to be correct. As climate change continues to accelerate globally, sweltering temperatures are becoming the new normal. Take July this year, for example, which observed THREE of the hottest days in human history.
In a bid to combat this, tourists are now switching up their travel needs… enter ‘coolcations’. Exactly as it sounds, this travel trend sees tourists escaping from the sun (rather than to) to countries with much more suitable climates.
Search interest proves this shift in travel intention, with Google searches for ‘cooler countries’ (+2590%), ‘cold countries’ (+170%) and ‘cold holiday’ (+61%) having all seen substantial increases in the past decade. In fact, England, a country notorious for its ‘gloomy’ weather, also feels the impact of rising temperatures. In the last year alone, there has been a 120% increase in Brits searching for ‘cooler holidays’, highlighting a global movement towards cooler travel.
At Bókun, we have conducted a deep analysis of search trends and country climate data to explore how the tourism demand has evolved over the last decade, highlighting the best places for tourists to escape the weather and explore more wellness-focused travel.
Top Coolcation Hotspots: Countries
In the past ten years (2013-2023), searches for ‘cooler countries’ have soared 2590%, highlighting mass consumer demand, but which cooler countries are the best to visit?
We analysed search demand for “flights” to the 14 coldest countries worldwide to reveal how consumer demand has changed over the past decade.
A clear rising star and country to be paying close attention to is Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Situated between Greenland and Norway, the island sees average temperatures of -6.78℃ and has grown massively in the past ten years (+988%), making it the perfect time to explore while still gaining popularity. The country’s snowy landscape makes the perfect setting for dog sledging, and due to its prime location, there are exceptional opportunities for tourists to view the Northern Lights when visiting.
Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked mountainous country in Central Asia has reported the second-highest growth in the last decade among tourists (+504%). With an average temperature of 2.65℃, the country has plenty to offer its tourists including cold swimming in Kel-Suu Lake, skiing at Karakol ski base or hiking at Jyrgalan Valley.
The country enjoying the third-biggest rise in the past decade is Faroe Islands. Noting a 182% rise in searches for flights, the gorgeous location with average yearly temperatures of 6.60℃ offers natural waterfalls such as the ones in Fossa, cold swimming in Tjornuvik Kirkja and wild fishing in Hvannasund.
Famed for a focus on a more wellness-oriented lifestyle, Iceland + Switzerland round out the top five ‘coolcation’ countries. Iceland, with its iconic Blue Lagoon, has seen a 125% increase in searches (1.85℃), while Switzerland (6.47℃), home to the iconic Matterhorn Mountain, has seen flight searches jump 97%.
For those seeking the extremes of colder temperatures, then Greenland is one for you. Whether it’s dolphin spotting at Ilulissa Fjord or skiing at Sisorarfiit-Skiliften, the country has plenty to offer tourists. With an average temperature of -18.68℃ (the coldest of all recorded), the country has seen searches for flights increase by 65% in the last 10 years.
Top Coolcation Hotspots: Cities
If you’re looking to discover the coolest city in the world, then look no further than Oulu, Finland (7.8 degrees). From husky sledding in Lapland, ice karting in Levi or exploring Nuuksio National Park, the country has so much to see and do outdoors – making it clear to see why flight searches have skyrocketed 500% in the past decade.
With search interest increasing 403% in the past decade, Nuuk in Greenland ranks as the second coolest city in the world. With an average temperature of 4.6℃, the city is perfect for those seeking a newer climate to explore at a more leisurely pace. Walking tours and Northern Lights viewing are among the most common activity tours in the area.
Chilé or Chilly? It appears both, as the city of Punta Arenas in the country ranks third most in-demand ‘coolcation’ city with an increase of 163% in the past ten years. Top activities in the country include dolphin sightings, hiking and glacier tours.
A report by Viator highlighted the growing trend of “coolcations”, with cities known for their cooler climates, like Stockholm in Sweden, (which has experienced a 650% surge in the last year) also seeing a more than 50% year-on-year increase in activity bookings.
Other notable cities inside the top 20 were Tromso in Norway (+103%), Calgary in Canada (+75%), Reykjavik in Iceland (+74%) and Tallinn in Estonia (29%).
Demand For Cold Activities Is On The Rise
The rise of cold-weather activities can also be attributed to an increased interest in wellness-oriented travel and a deeper connection with nature and animals. Ice fishing, for example, has the most tours available worldwide (573), highlighting its popularity among tourists seeking a more unique, nature-based experience.
Over the past decade, cold plunges have gained massive popularity, becoming a breakout wellness trend on social media. This activity, known for its health benefits—such as muscle recovery, reduced inflammation, and immune system support has surged in interest, with a 19,743% increase in the last ten years (912% in just the past year).
Other cold-weather activities found to be popular with tourists included dog sledding, glacier walks, snowshoeing, and ice climbing.
Upon analysing and categorising all the tours available worldwide, we found that Fairbanks, United States, leads in dog sledding, offering 60 tours and accounting for 24% of all sledding experiences. Reykjavik, Iceland, is a hotspot for glacier walks, hosting 12% of all tours (46 tours), while Rovaniemi, Finland, is the go-to destination for snowshoeing with 44 available tours (11%). Ice climbing appears most popular in Vik, Iceland (13 tours, 9%), and Rovaniemi, Finland leads in ice fishing with 31 tours (5%).
For those seeking a variety of cold-weather activities, Iceland, Finland, and the United States stand out as the top destinations to explore.
The Best Natural Cold Plunge Locations In The UK, USA and Canada
With the surging popularity of natural cold plunges as the top cold activity over the past year and decade, we wanted to go a step further and reveal the ultimate global destinations for the best cold plunge experiences.
Research suggests that the optimum temperature for cold plunges is between 10-15℃. By analysing average sea temperature levels across the globe, we have been able to rank the best locations for cold plunges in UK, Canada and the USA.
In the USA, New York leads the way with 79 locations hitting the perfect temperature range. Coney Island, Montauk, and West Hampton Beach are prime spots for an invigorating plunge. New Jersey comes in second with 56 sites, followed closely by Massachusetts with 54.
In the UK, Cornwall tops the list with 32 locations offering ideal conditions. The waters around Newquay, Plymouth, and Sennen provide some of the best opportunities for cold plunging. Cornwall is followed by Argyll and Bute, boasting 19 optimal locations, and Kent with 16.
Canada, while offering fewer ideal spots, still features some notable destinations. Ontario stands out with five prime locations, including the waters near Niagara Falls (note: not the river), Thorold, and Sarnia. British Columbia offers two more places perfect for taking the plunge.
Our findings uncover a strong interest among travellers for unique and exciting experiences, particularly those that align with the growing wellness trend.
Tour operators should be encouraged to consider incorporating innovative, cool-climate activities into their offerings in a bid to diversify their current portfolio and attract new audiences.
At Bókun, our mission is to help tour and activity businesses generate more bookings with less work. With that in mind, why not take the plunge and sign up for a FREE 14-day trial today?
Methodology
Demand for cold countries and cities was determined by comparing Google search volume data for “flights to” or “holiday to” from Google trends from 2013 to 2023 from the coldest countries and cities worldwide.
*Some cold countries have been excluded from the study due to geo-political instability.
Search demand for particular cold activities was collected from Google trends over the past year. To identify the countries with the best offerings for each activity, data for each cold activity was gathered from Tripadvisor and organised by country and city to determine which locations provided the highest number of experiences for consumers.
Based on research from Healthline, we determined that the optimal cold plunge temperature is 10-15℃. To identify prime natural cold plunge locations across the UK, USA, and Canada, we collected average water temperatures from seatemperature.org. Only locations within the 10-15℃ range were analysed and included in our final results.